As learned from the State Administration of Environment Protection the State council has recently approved the "Tenth Five Year Plan for State Environment Protection" compiled jointly by the State Administration of Environment Protection, State Planning Commission, State Economic and Trade Commission and Ministry of Finance and other relevant departments.

To realize the goal as set in the "Tenth Five Year Plan for State Environment Protection" a lump-sum of 700 billion yuan will be injected for the national environment protection. It accounts for 1.3 percent of the GDP in the corresponding period, or 3.6 percent of the gross volume of fixed investment of the whole society, which is one percentage point higher as against that of the "Ninth Five Year Plan" period.

Out of the total amount, the investment by government covers RMB 394 billion-yuan, taking up 56 percent of the gross investment while that put in by enterprises comes to 306 billion yuan, a proportion of 44 percent of the gross needs.

As put forward in the "Plan" the environment pollution in China will be somewhat alleviated by the year 2005 with the deteriorating tendency of biological environment initially curbed. Therefore, the environmental quality will get improved in urban and rural areas, particularly in the large and medium cities and the key areas so as to meet in a healthy way the law, policies and management system as required for environment protection in a market system of socialist economy.

During the "Tenth Five Year Plan" period, efforts still have to be made by laying hold of the work for prevention and treatment of pollution along the three (Huaihe, Haihe and Liaohe) rivers, the three (Taihu, Chaohu and Dianchi) lakes, two controlled (control of acid-rain and of dioxide sulfur) areas and Beijing and Bohai Bay.

The treatment of water pollution of the Three Gorges Reservoir area and the areas for water-diversion projects from south to north must be grasped tightly with tenacious efforts intensified for the prevention and treatment of pollution and the emphasis laid on large and medium cities.

Attention must be paid to the construction of biological environment in small cities too and strengthen in a down-to-earth way the biological construction and protection to set a gag on manmade destruction. Besides, the initiative must be made to promote the enterprising processes, industrialization and marketization in the treatment of pollution by soliciting funds through diversified channels. Social investment and support from all works of life for the environment protection have to be encouraged with greater endeavor to be laid on the collection of fees for sewage and garbage treatment.

The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities under the direct jurisdiction as well as the relevant departments of the State Council must work out particular plans of their own localities and sectors for implementation as quick as possible in accordance with the "Plan", pointed out the official given by the State Council. The key projects for environmental protection must be included in the national plan of the country and in the annual social development plan of localities and various sectors so that they can be carried out in an earnest way.

The major responsibility for environmental protection lies in the hands of localities. The people's governments at various levels must put the goals and methods for environmental protection into the responsible systems of provincial governors, mayors and magistrates so as to set up a quota for total volume control, forming a checkup system over the fulfillment of the environmental quality. The imposition of leadership and supervision over the implementation of the "Plan" must be strengthened so as to make sure the allotment of funds right to particular units and methods suitable for the execution of the plan and with an explicit responsibility. Every year must see a checkup and sum-up over the implementation of the "Plan" being exercised and those units failed to fulfill their tasks must have to find out the reasons and to have them earnestly adjusted or corrected.

(People's Daily January 31, 2002)