Tonglu sees improved environment

A frosty view of Tonglu county in East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The efforts made by Tonglu county in East China's Zhejiang province to improve its environment are paying dividends.

Official statistics show that all 114 major rivers in the county have at least a Grade III or above rating.

The proportion of rivers given the higher Grade I and II ratings has also risen from 65 percent in 2017 to more than 90 percent.

Ecological restoration of more than 450 small and micro water bodies such as ponds located in the Chengnan sub-district has also been completed.

The improved quality of surface water can be partly attributed to the city's promotion of the "river chief" system, which sees officials at each level of government take charge of the water sources in their area.

Tonglu's air quality has also significantly improved thanks to its efforts to tackle pollutants such as waste gas, motor vehicle exhaust and dust from construction sites.

The number of days with good air quality in a year in Tonglu has increased by 23 when compared with 2017. Tonglu has also been honored as a provincial demonstration zone for fresh air.

Tonglu's afforestation efforts have been outstanding as well. This year, more than 15,000 mu (1,000 hectares) of trees was planted in Tonglu.

A survey conducted earlier this year shows that Tonglu is ranked third among 14 administrative areas of Hangzhou in terms of the public's satisfaction rate for ecological environment.