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Water pollution treatment lagging due to financial gap

By Yu Hongyan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-09-24 14:31

The water quality of China's major rivers improved after treatment in 2008, but due to a lack of funds, about 60 percent of the government's previously designated water pollution treatment projects remain unfinished, the China Business News reported today, citing an official with the Ministry of Environment Protection (MEP).

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Eighty polluted river drainage areas out of 115 attained the state standard in 2008, according to a report released by the MEP yesterday.

Of the 1,834 water pollution treatment projects, 773 have been finished, accounting for 42.1 percent of the total, while the remainder of the projects are still ongoing, under preparation or completely untouched, according to MEP spokesperson Tao Detian.

"There is a financial gap in carrying on these projects," Tao said.

He also pointed out other problems in the pollution control process, including ammonia nitrogen pollution and low efficiency in the sewage treatment rate in urban districts.