《建设“东方莱茵河”和“维也纳”森林》

Getting its own Rhine River and a Vienna forest as well

By Zhou Qing and Hao Nan (China Daily)

The governor has described the Xiangjiang River project (Hunan's "Mother River"), as a landmark project.

"We're going to build it into China's Rhine, with the initial goal of making the water drinkable," said Zhou Qiang, Hunan Party chief, referring to Germany's major river.

The project was first mentioned in 2007 when the cities of Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan were selected as energy-saving, environmentally friendly pilot areas.

In 2011, the river pollution treatment plan was included in a national development blueprint, the first of its kind to get State Council approval.

"Chemicals, non-ferrous metals, and iron factories along the river have dumped pollution into the Xiangjiang River, so it suffers from heavy metal pollution," the Party chief said.

"These factories may benefit some people, but the river has gone black in parts and has sickened people living along its banks."

The pursuit of rapid economic growth at the cost of the environment must be changed, Zhou said.

"We still want to develop the province's economy, but in an eco-friendly way."

The polluted area covers Hengyang, Loudi, Yongzhou and Yueyang.

"No city stands alone in the project. They need to deal with the pollution together."

The central government will allocate nearly 60 billion yuan ($9.2 billion) for 927 pollution-control projects. The Party chief said he believes that the Xiangjiang River will reclaim its former beauty in the next five to 10 years.

One other landmark project has fresh air on the books.

The provincial government wants to establish a green area centered on the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area.

"We hope to build it into China's Vienna Forest," said Zhou, referring to Austria this time.

"That forest is famous for its natural beauty and has played a positive role in purifying the air, and I expect the green center will serve a similar function."

The area is expected to be the province's lungs, covering a more than 520-square-kilometer area, and will play an important role in regulating the climate, easing the tropical effects of the area, as well as conserving water and soil resources and protecting biodiversity.

The green center reflects the local authorities' determination to restore the ecology and protect the environment, Zhou noted.

(China Daily 06/01/2011 page36)