East China's Anhui Province has lodged a 50 billion yuan (US$7 billion) proposal to the State Council to help curb pollution in Chaohu Lake, local Anhui Shang Bao reported on Tuesday.

The picture taken on June 4, 2008 shows the Nangeng section of the Chaohu Lake in Anhui Province.

Earlier this year the State Council approved a plan involving 7 billion yuan to tackle environmental problems in Chaohu Lake. Provincial officials are now pushing for even more financial support from the state government.

Ni Fake, the Vice Governor of Anhui Province, says that the 50 billion Yuan project will focus on domestic sewage treatments, industrial pollution controls and ecological restoration of rural areas. The budget will also fund a project to divert water from the Yangtze River to Chaohu Lake.

14 sewage treatment plants are under construction and are expected to be finished by the end of 2008, according to Ni.

Ni said one of the short-term goals of the project is to reduce pollution in Chaohu Lake and bring it under control by the year 2012. The project's long term aim is to improve the quality of water in Chaohu Lake and bring it in line with the state's class III water quality standards.

Since the 1980's water pollution has plagued the Chaohu Lake Basin, an area of strategic importance to China's grain production. In recent years, however, water quality has risen, thanks to pollution abatement work supported by state and provincial governments.

Water pollution control is among the key projects announced in China's 11th Five-Year Plan which began in 2006.

(CRI August 28, 2008)