|China releases plan on drinking-water source protection| The
Chinese government has released a plan on the protection of
drinking-water sources in urban areas to guarantee the safety of
drinking water and protect people's health. The Urban Drinking
Water Sources Protection Plan (2008-2020), jointly issued by
five ministries including the ministries of Environmental
Protection and Health, will guide environmental-protection and
pollution-control work at drinking-water source areas. Illegal
buildings, drain outlets, dump sites and factories will be
removed from such areas, according to the plan that was
estimated to cost 58 billion yuan (8.5 billion U.S.dollars).
Activities that may pollute the water in the protected areas,
such as fish farming, swimming and fishing, will be banned. The
plan vowed to control water pollution caused by farming, animal
husbandry, and water transportation in the areas. Local
governments will also launch ecological restoration projects at
protected areas. Meanwhile, monitoring and