Plan in pipeline to save groundwater
Updated: 2015-09-29 08:47
(China Daily)
|
|||||||||||
China is set to carry out a new plan to protect groundwater resources as the authorities try to cope with a mounting challenge of excessive use in most provincial areas, a government official said on Monday.
A national plan on the use and protection of groundwater will soon be rolled out by the central government, Qi Bingqiang, an official with the Ministry of Water Resources, said at a news conference.
The plan will state clearly the concrete target of the groundwater exploitation of each provincial area. It will also set specific targets for the reduction of overuse in areas where the problem exists.
It is part of a nationwide effort to protect groundwater resources as overuse is a problem now facing 21 provincial areas. In some areas in North China, where water shortages are more severe, groundwater still accounts for more than 70 percent of the water supply, the ministry said in a guideline in August.
Overuse of groundwater now occurs in more than 300,000 square kilometers of Chinese territory, an area approximately the size of Italy. More than 17 billion cubic meters of water are being over-extracted from underground sources each year, he said.
Qi said the country will also launch a nationwide groundwater monitoring project as the water authority has set the target of building more than 20,000 groundwater monitor stations across the country.
"We will step up the online monitoring of major groundwater users to prevent them from over-extracting of the resources," he said.
The authority will also employ a pricing plan to help protect the resources.
"In areas where there is a severe overuse problem, we will make sure the price of groundwater will be much higher than those from rivers or lakes," he said.
He noted that a number of provincial areas have taken measures to protect the groundwater resources.
Legislators in Hebei and Shaanxi provinces have rolled out a provincial regulation on groundwater use, while in Beijing, the authorities have closed all extraction wells in urban areas.
Meanwhile, experts and legislators have called for a nationwide legislation on the use of groundwater resources.
Dong Xinguang, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, said in March that more than 50 cities in China are threatened by land subsidence as a result of groundwater overuse.
"The lack of a systematic and highly applicable law system is an important reason behind the sprawling groundwater overuse," he said.
Related Stories
Chaoyang to cut groundwater pumping this year 2015-01-20 15:14
China's groundwater plagued by pollution 2014-11-19 14:24
Country to build wells to monitor groundwater 2014-07-29 15:17
Today's Top News
China to set up 8000 troops for UN peacekeeping
China announces contribution to EU's 315 billion-euro plan
Evidence found of water flows on Mars: study
Shell pulls plug on Arctic drilling
France launches air strikes against IS in Syria
Xi pledges $10 million for the UN
Women's rights are human rights, German chancellor says
Love and trade across the Silk Road
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Xi will get a bigger welcome in UK |
Stepping up |
Rural families still hope for male heirs |
Blue skies over Beijing ... for now |
V-Day parade for 70th WWII anniversary |
Tianjin blasts: Death, damage and bravery |