‘Lake chiefs’ to keep eye on environment

“Lake chiefs” will be appointed in China to keep an eye on water pollution, based on the successful introduction of “river chiefs” last year. The first meeting of the Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform of the 19th CPC Central Committee, held on Monday, approved the measure, among others.

The lake chiefs will have responsibilities similar to river chiefs, who are tasked with resource protection, pollution prevention and control, and ecological restoration.

Likewise, their performance will be assessed, and they will be held accountable for environmental damage in bodies of water under their supervision.

The introduction of lake chiefs aims to address waters not covered by river chiefs. Earlier this year, Hubei and Zhejiang provinces rolled out pilot programs.

Observers said the measure underscores the top leadership’s determination to clean up the environment, following decades of breakneck growth that left many of China’s waters seriously contaminated by factory waste and agricultural fertilizer.

China has appointed about 200,000 river chiefs at the provincial, city, county and township levels to combat pollution, Zu Leiming, head of the Ministry of Water Resources’ construction and management department, said at a news conference in August.

The effect is becoming clear. Zhejiang has basically eliminated black and odorous water.

According to the ministry, some 73.4 percent of inland waters met national standards in 2016, up from 70.8 percent in 2015 and 67.5 percent in 2014, meeting the annual target.

But the ministry said the task is still challenging.

Complaints still arise about worsening water quality in some areas, destruction of aquatic ecosystems and substandard drinking water.

More than 70 percent of the water in seven major river valleys, including those of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, should reach Grade III or higher by 2020, according to a 2015 action plan. Grade V is the lowest.

At the meeting of the Leading Group, a guideline on the selection and management of officials working in poverty-stricken regions was passed to help select officials able to promote poverty relief, deal with slack management and tackle undesirable work practices.

It’s a significant move in the implementation of targeted poverty relief measures after the Party’s pledge at its 19th National Congress to overcome poverty.

Poverty relief is always high on China’s agenda. The country has vowed to eliminate poverty by 2020. Since the start of its reform and opening-up, China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty, with more than 60 million lifted out in the past five years. The poverty rate has dropped from 10.2 percent to less than 4 percent.

“Selecting capable and suitable officials to guide poverty relief at different levels is necessary to effectively deepen relief and realize common prosperity,” said Zuo Ting, a professor at China Agricultural University.

Strict evaluations and inspections must be carried out to ensure that goals are achieved, Zuo added.

As China heads toward a poverty-free future, its targeted poverty relief measures offer answers to problems of development globally, said Du Xiaoshan, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

“China’s poverty-relief campaign benefits not only its own citizens but also people in other developing countries,” Du said.