SHANGHAI has 1,864 polluted and smelly waterways that must be cleaned by the end of the year, Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong said yesterday.
The city’s cleanup campaign will not only improve water quality, but also prevent it from being polluted again, Ying said in a radio interview to address public concerns.
As mayor, he will oversee the campaign as head of the river chiefs.
“Local residents are encouraged to serve as ‘public river chiefs’ to monitor the cleanup and maintenance on the waterways near their homes,” he said.
The city government has appointed local officials, from vice mayors to district directors, as river chiefs, charged with cleaning up polluted waterways and overseeing long-term sustainability.
Ying said the city aims to ensure rivers with grade-5 ratings — which stretch for more than 600 kilometers across the city — will be cleaned up by 2020.
Grade-1 is potable after minimal treatment while grade-6 is severely contaminated.
Apart from curbing water pollution, the city government is also focused on the promotion of garbage sorting among local residents and at construction sites, Ying said.
The city aims to reduce the amount of garbage while encouraging sorting and separation among local residents.
The city aims to change the current garbage treatment method from burying to incineration, he added.