High-polluting industries banned in Three Gorges

The Chinese Government has announced strict new curbs on high-polluting industry to prevent pollution of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, following a related incident earlier this month.

A boat is encircled by floating wastes in the Three Gorges Reservoir in Zigui county, Central China's Hubei province on August 24, 2014. [Photo/CNS]

The State Council indicated in a written reply on the guideline on partner assistance across the Three Gorges that the number of heavy-polluting industry projects, including chemical, medicinal and electronic, should be limited while those posing a risk of pollution must be banned in the area.

Meanwhile, production safety rules should be enforced to protect the ecological environment, it added.

The curbs follow an incident earlier this month involving water from a reservoir in southwest China's Chongqing in the Three Gorges area being polluted by untreated waste discharged by a sulfur concentrate washery in neighboring Hubei province.

On the other hand, it is a big task to promote the region's economy, as most counties lag behind in industrial development, the State Council commented.

The government has encouraged the area to develop industries with local advantages and promote ecological agriculture, tourism and logistic industries to boost employment.

The guideline also called for partner assistance models and preferential policies to support education in the Three Gorges Reservoir region.