China will improve sewage treatment in its vast rural areas and the rural life sewage treatment rate will reach 40 percent in 2025 from 28 percent in 2020, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
Government organs, market entities, and villagers will be encouraged to join hands to achieve the goal, the ministry said. Rural sewage treatment has faced challenges of high cost, long investment return cycle, and lack of maintenance staff. The move was a part of China’s efforts to push forward rural vitalization.
Earlier this year, China unveiled its “No. 1 central document” for 2022, outlining vital tasks to comprehensively advance rural vitalization. The year 2022 will be a crucial year for aligning the efforts of consolidating and expanding poverty alleviation achievements with rural vitalization endeavors.
China’s State Council Information Office held a regular press briefing on Saturday detailing the issue on the supervision and management of sewage outflows, which was mentioned in a circular released by the State Council on March 2, 2022.
According to the circular, investigation of sewage flow along seven estuaries, including the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Haihe River, Zhujiang River and Taihu Lake, should be completed by the end of 2023, and treatment of all sewage outflow in main basins should be completed, with an improved legal system, scientific-technical system and effective management system established by the end of 2025.
Qiu Qiwen, China’s vice minister of ecology and environment, attended the press briefing and answered some questions. According to Qiu, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will fully implement the circular, and promote the establishment and improvement of a long-term supervision and management mechanism with clear responsibilities to continuously promote the improvement of water environment quality in river basins and sea areas.
Banks and insurers are encouraged to optimize financial services to advance rural vitalization, China’s top banking and insurance regulator said in March
Source: This news is originally published by cgtn