China.org.cn | December 2, 2024
Tide News under Zhejiang Daily Press Group:
Rural areas are the "back gardens" of cities. Controlling rural pollution is an important task to fight pollution and a significant measure in implementing the rural revitalization strategy. Could you elaborate on the progress made by the MEE in the control of agricultural and rural pollution? What measures will be taken to paint a new picture of livable, business-friendly, harmonious and beautiful rural areas? Thank you.
Huang Runqiu:
I would like to invite Ms. Guo to answer your questions.
Guo Fang:
Thank you for your questions. Beautiful rural areas are an indispensable part of the building of a Beautiful China. The Green Rural Revival Program of Zhejiang province started by addressing the most prominent environmental issues raised by the public. Over more than 20 years, these villages have achieved a magnificent transformation from "dirty, disorderly and poor" to "green, affluent and beautiful." This has provided valuable experience for rural pollution control and the building of beautiful rural areas.
In recent years, the MEE, in collaboration with relevant departments, has been actively promoting the experience of the Green Rural Revival Program. We have focused on areas in front of and behind houses and along fields and roadsides, and made efforts to address environmental issues that concern the public. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), 67,000 administrative villages nationwide have completed environmental improvements, the treatment rate of rural domestic sewage has exceeded 45%, the utilization rate of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has surpassed 41%, comprehensive utilization of livestock and poultry manure has reached 78%, and the recycling rate of agricultural film has exceeded 80%. Through the following "two focuses and one systematic improvement," the rural environment has shown remarkable improvements.
The first focus is the treatment of rural domestic sewage. Instead of directly applying "urban experiences," the approach involves setting the "three basic" treatment goals, namely: "basically not seeing sewage flowing, basically not smelling odor, and basically not hearing complaints from villagers." We established a bottom line of preventing direct discharge of sewage, and guided localities to adopt tailored strategies and select appropriate treatment technologies and methods, particularly encouraging resource utilization. In places like Wenshan, Yunnan province, treated domestic sewage is reused for agricultural purposes, such as growing vegetables, grains and flowers. This method, which is cost-effective, easy to manage and effective, has been well received by local farmers.
The other focus is the treatment of black and odorous water bodies in rural areas. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), over 3,700 black and odorous water bodies under national supervision and over 6,100 such water bodies under provincial supervision have been treated. Former "smelly ditches" and "dirty ponds" have now been transformed into "picturesque waterscapes" and "gathering places" for residents. For example, in Jincheng, Shanxi province, the treatment of black and odorous water bodies has been integrated into the local efforts to carry forward traditional village culture, recreating the scene of "clean water flowing around the ancient village." Mixi village, the location of the Iron Buddha Temple from the hit game "Black Myth: Wukong," has now become a popular tourist spot. With the National Day holiday approaching, those of you who are interested can visit to see for yourself.
The one systematic improvement refers to strengthening agricultural land and soil protection. We have focused our efforts on the treatment, utilization and conservation of land and soil to ensure food safety. In total, 210 key areas have been designated nationwide, where we set special limits for heavy metal emissions. We have provided support for nearly 400 legacy waste treatment projects and completed the actions against the illegal operations of over 2,300 companies. Efforts have been made to protect the black soil, restore and maintain soil fertility, and promote increases in organic matter and soil health.
Of course, China has vast rural areas where environmental problems still occur from time to time. For example, in some regions, rural sewage treatment facilities have been built but are not operating normally, and livestock and poultry manure as well as household waste is randomly dumped. As such, we have optimized the problem finding mechanism. In order not to increase the burden on the grassroots, we do not evaluate the work of local governments by the number of reports submitted, but rather by random sampling, and we also ask the media to assist with supervision. We and the People's Daily Online formed a special channel, using messages they received from the grassroots as a key source for identifying problems. We conduct special checks that start without prior notice, forgo any form of work report, escort or official hospitality, and go directly to the site at the community level. We have also carried out field surveys, evidence collection, case notification and regular scheduling to discover and resolve problems in a timely manner, in a bid to expand the achievements of rural environmental improvements.
Maintaining our goal of building a Beautiful China, we will formulate implementation plans to support the beautiful countryside initiative, comprehensively enhance the rural revitalization strategy, improve the rural living environment, and make sustained efforts to prevent and control agricultural non-point pollution. By doing so, rural areas are expected to be built into beautiful, livable and happy homes that contain lush mountains, lucid waters, and typical rustic charm. Thank you.