To curb water pollution along the eastern line of China's largest water diversion project, 369 pollution prevention projects, with a total cost of 22.8 billion yuan (US$2.8 billion), will be implemented in two phases over the coming 10 years.

Phase one will deal with the pollution of Shandong's Nansihu Reservoir and the section of the diversion passing through Jiangsu Province, and will be completed by the year 2008. Phase two will concentrate on the pollution in Hebei Province and the city of Tianjin, according to the State Water Resources Administration Bureau for the Huaihe River.

Phase one will require an investment of 13.8 billion yuan (US$1.67 billion). The entire Nansihu Reservoir area in Shandong will see a total of 76 industrial structure modification and industrial pollution treatment projects, including the construction of 27 industrial sewage treatment plants.

Along the two sides of the 100-kilometre main tunnel of the reservoir, a 50-100 metres wide green belt will be built to prevent possible pollution. Other efficient pollution-control systems will also be established around the area.

The pollution control tasks on the eastern line of the south-to-north water diversion project are the most formidable, said Fan Liliang, vice-director of the pollution control department of the Shandong Environment Protection Bureau.

Major pollution sources include industrial pollution, urban residential pollution, fish farms, agricultural fertilizers and shipping pollution.

To date, Shandong has closed 23 paper pulp mills. This year another two paper pulp lines and three alcohol lines will be closed down.

Fan said the local government has worked hard to curb industrial pollution, adopting environmentally friendly technology, and using recycled water in industrial production.

"We are launching a comprehensive pollution-control scheme that combines pollution management, wastewater recycling and biological environment protection," said Fan.

The recycled wastewater will be utilized for city afforestation, cleaning, and agricultural irrigation.

On December 28 last year, China initiated the gigantic project to divert water from the mighty Yangtze River to the country's parched north.

Involving an investment of about US$59 billion, the project will deliver about 44.8 billion cubic metres of water to the north each year, upon completion in the middle of this century.

By 2013 the huge water diversion project will have invested a total of 13.3 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) in Shandong Province, mainly for pollution treatment.

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