On behalf of the Sichuan provincial government and governor
Zhang Zhongwei, Liu Xiaofeng, vice governor of the province,
delivered the "Second Report on Pollutions of the Tuojiang River"
and apologized to the victims affected by the pollution accidents
at the ninth meeting of the standing committee of the Tenth Sichuan
Provincial People's Congress Monday afternoon.
Two incidents of serious industrial pollution occurred in the
Tuojiang River valley in this southwest province in March and May
respectively.
Liu had reported the pollution of Tujiang River to the standing
committee on April 13 and the members of the committee made
criticisms and proposals on issues such as the handling of
emergencies, investigation and punishment of responsible units and
persons, and compensations for pollution-hit units and people.
On April 30, at a televised meeting, the Sichuan Provincial
Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the provincial
government announced the decisions on the punishment of the
polluter, the Sichuan Chemicals Co. Ltd., and responsible
persons.
On May 3, once again, serious pollution hit the middle reaches
of the Tuojiang River, killing over 40,000 kilograms of fish and
causing a direct loss of 897,000 yuan (US$108,508). On May 11, the
Meishan municipal government decided to punish the relevant units
and persons in the case.
Liu said that the occurrences of the twin serious pollution
cases on the Tuojiang River are actually inevitable. It revealed
deep-rooted defects in the province's environmental protection
work. He urged governments at all levels in Sichuan to draw lessons
from the mishaps.
He pointed out that in 1992 and 1998 respectively, the standing
committee of the Sichuan Provincial People's Congress made
decisions on pollution control on the Tuojiang and Minjiang rivers
and raised concrete goals and requirements for the provincial
government. In the past years, the provincial government
established special offices for that mission and drew working plans
but failed to carry the plans out in earnest, which resulted in the
chain pollution cases.
Liu admitted that officials' poor awareness, slack supervision,
insufficient investment, loose management and law enforcement are
the five major problems in the province's environmental protection
work.
Liu disclosed that his government has devised measures to
rectify deficiencies in its environmental protection work.
The government will intensify prevention and control of
industrial pollution along major river valleys, focusing on the
five main sectors of chemical industry, food, brewage, leather and
printing/dyeing that involve 52 heavy-polluting enterprises.
The government will also accelerate prevention and control of
pollution from living wastes along major river valleys in the
province. It will soon build 22 sewage treatment plants and 31
urban garbage treatment plants in the Tuojiang and Minjiang river
valleys. In addition, the province will launch comprehensive
pollution-control projects in valleys of smaller rivers to ensure
the safety of drinking water.
Meanwhile, merits in pollution control will be set as a major
criterion for the appraisal of government officials. Those who have
had major pollution mishap in his jurisdiction will be considered
unqualified.
The province will allot an additional fund of 7 million yuan
(US$846,771), besides the approved annual budget of 7.2 million
yuan (US$870,964), to construct 11 pollution surveillance systems
in the Minjiang and Tuojiang river valleys, revamp the provincial
environmental surveillance center and build 11 surveillance
stations in 11 cities to handle pollutions in the minor valleys of
Minjiang and Tuojiang rivers.
The government has also promised to raise another 50 million
yuan (US$6.05 million) this year for purifying the province's
drinking water.
Liu said governments at various levels in Sichuan are subject to
the supervision of the people's congresses and their standing
committees at corresponding levels, the media as well as the
people. They should seek help from the whole society to promote
environmental protection.
(China.org.cn by Chen Chao, June 3, 2003)