East China’s Jiangsu province will put into effect its regulations on river course management on January 1st next year in a bid to push the river chief system across the province to combat water pollution.
Heads of the government at the provincial, prefectural city, county or county level district and township levels will be appointed general river chiefs, according to the regulation.
The "river chief" system, a new scheme under which local government officers are named river chiefs and take responsibility for dealing with water pollution, has already improved the quality of China's waterways. In Zhejiang Province, black and odorous water has been basically eliminated. Jiangsu Province has announced 36 plans to increase lake coverage by more than 425 square kilometers.
The measure was an important agenda item in the 2017 government work report, and has become a focus of public attention in China.
"River chiefs" are tasked with resource protection, pollution prevention and control, and ecological restoration and they will be held accountable for environmental damage in bodies of water under their supervision.
At a meeting on Dec. 8, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee vowed to make solid progress in 2018 in curbing major risks, eradicating poverty and pollution control, "three tough battles" the country must win to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020.
China firstly appointed local government officials as river chiefs in 2007 to address pollution woes of a blue algae outbreak in Taihu Lake, Jiangsu Province.
The practice was later adopted in several regions rich in water resources to ensure strong enforcement of environmental policies and enhance coordination.
Government officials will be hired as river chiefs at provincial, city, county and township levels, and heads of provincial regions will be general chiefs that are responsible for all rivers and lakes in the region, according to the document.
