Breathing new life into polluted lake
Source: Xinhua |
July 18, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
DESPITE being a popular tourist destination, Lihu Lake in Wuxi City of east China's Jiangsu Province used to make the headlines for frequent algae blooms and other pollution.
But now, after years of efforts by local government to clean up the area, the lake is taking on a new, green look.
"The environment has improved a lot. The area used to stink and no one wanted to get close to it but now I can travel along the lake and enjoy the beautiful scenery," said a city resident, surnamed Hu, at the newly opened Jinchengwan Park along the lake.
The opening of the park marks the end of a 10-year project designed to bring life back to the Lihu Lake, according to the city government.
Lihu Lake is part of Taihu Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in China. It was once an attractive spot but had suffered from hasty and irrational development when the region's economy took off in the 1990s.
During its worst times, the water area shrunk to 6.4 square kilometers from the original 9.5 square kilometers. With algae accumulating and waste dumped in the lake, the area has become the worst polluted part of Taihu Lake.
In 2001, Wuxi City government embarked on the long journey to tackle pollution.
Large-scale projects included desilting, pollutant interception, water transferring and ecological restoration. To block off waste water, the city set up gates at the 31 channels to the lake.
At the International Conference on Freshwater held at Wuxi earlier this year, Erik Jeppesen, a researcher with Denmark's National Environment Research Institute, praised these efforts.
Only when external pollutants are prevented can ecological restoration become possible, he said.
Improving the environment also pushes up the value of the land, which helps finance the budget for further ecological restoration, said officials.
According to local government, land prices in the area have climbed from the original 200,000 yuan (US$30,940) per mu - 1 hectare equals to 15 mu - to the current 8 million yuan per mu.
"We try to strike a balance between environmental management and economic benefits. Ecological factors now come top of our considerations," said Mao Xiaoping, Party chief of Wuxi.
But now, after years of efforts by local government to clean up the area, the lake is taking on a new, green look.
"The environment has improved a lot. The area used to stink and no one wanted to get close to it but now I can travel along the lake and enjoy the beautiful scenery," said a city resident, surnamed Hu, at the newly opened Jinchengwan Park along the lake.
The opening of the park marks the end of a 10-year project designed to bring life back to the Lihu Lake, according to the city government.
Lihu Lake is part of Taihu Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in China. It was once an attractive spot but had suffered from hasty and irrational development when the region's economy took off in the 1990s.
During its worst times, the water area shrunk to 6.4 square kilometers from the original 9.5 square kilometers. With algae accumulating and waste dumped in the lake, the area has become the worst polluted part of Taihu Lake.
In 2001, Wuxi City government embarked on the long journey to tackle pollution.
Large-scale projects included desilting, pollutant interception, water transferring and ecological restoration. To block off waste water, the city set up gates at the 31 channels to the lake.
At the International Conference on Freshwater held at Wuxi earlier this year, Erik Jeppesen, a researcher with Denmark's National Environment Research Institute, praised these efforts.
Only when external pollutants are prevented can ecological restoration become possible, he said.
Improving the environment also pushes up the value of the land, which helps finance the budget for further ecological restoration, said officials.
According to local government, land prices in the area have climbed from the original 200,000 yuan (US$30,940) per mu - 1 hectare equals to 15 mu - to the current 8 million yuan per mu.
"We try to strike a balance between environmental management and economic benefits. Ecological factors now come top of our considerations," said Mao Xiaoping, Party chief of Wuxi.
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