China’s efforts to clean up the living environment for rural residents are producing encouraging outcomes, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Thursday.
More than 80 per cent of the country’s villages have launched clean-up campaigns since the end of 2018, disposing of 40 million tonnes of garbage, 30 million tonnes of mud in ditches and ponds, and rubble in 40 million locations, said Li Weiguo, an official with the ministry.
The central authorities issued an action plan to clean up the rural environment at the end of 2018.
China started construction on over 50,000 garbage treatment facilities and 80,000 sewage treatment facilities in rural areas in the first half of 2019, Li said at a press conference.
Renovation of toilets for more than 10 million rural households was also carried out during the period, after the successful renovation of toilets for over 10 million rural households in 2018.
China launched a toilet revolution in 2015 to increase number and sanitation of toilets at tourist sites.
The campaign was expanded to improve public toilets in cities and build better toilets in rural areas.
The central government has allocated seven billion yuan (about $1.03 billion) to help rural areas press ahead with the toilet revolution since 2018.
Another three billion yuan was allocated for clean-up of rural areas in central and west China regions.
Xinhua/NAN
