China is to beef up environmental protection measures in seven major lakes and reservoirs this year, Zhou Shengxian, minister of environmental protection, said Monday.

A round-the-clock monitoring system will be established to watch over those heavily-polluted sources, he said.

The seven major lakes and reservoirs include Taihu Lake, Chaohu Lake, Dianchi Lake, Three Gorges Reservoir, and Xiaolangdi Reservoir.

Investment, credit and fiscal policies will be used to guarantee the implementation of those environmental measures, he said.

The minister also urged to raise fees for pollutant discharge and the implementation of environment-friendly credit and loan systems.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2008)