An action plan, unveiled recently by Shiyan city of Hubei province, stipulates that efforts should be made over the next three to five years to safeguard water quality of the main stream of the Han River and the Danjiangkou Reservoir in the city. The bodies of water are the source of the South to North Water Diversion Project, and the plan will ensure that the water quality meets the national Class II standard of surface water.
According to the municipal environmental protection bureau, the action plan includes restoration of forest ecology, restoration of lakes and wetland, biodiversity conservation, prevention and treatment of industrial pollution, green renovation of industrial parks, construction of urban sewage and waste treatment facilities, rural pollution treatment, improvement of water quality of rivers, lakes and reservoirs, treatment of soil and phosphorus pollution, and treatment of water pollution.
According to the action plan, key projects on the agenda include turning more than 12,613 hectares of farmland into forests or grasslands, and curtailing soil erosion of 818 square kilometers of land. Chemical plants, papermaking and other energy intensive or highly polluting projects are forbidden within the one square-kilometer periphery of the 216 kilometer-long main stream of the Han River as well as its main tributary.
The plan aims to finish treating all living sewage in the urban areas in Shiyan by 2019, and make sure that discharged water will meet a higher level than Grade I. The plan also imposes restrictions on illegal wharfs and illegal sand excavation. Vessels that do not meet environmental standards will be forced to retire, and the ports will see upgrades in order to become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.