(CFP Photo)

Jiangsu achieved progress in 2023 in key initiatives aimed at protecting soil, groundwater, and the ecological environment of agricultural and rural areas, as reported by the provincial Department of Ecology and Environment on April 9.

The province completed sewage treatment in 727 administrative villages and cleaned up 16 water bodies listed under national regulation, achieving a rural sewage treatment rate of 51%, and an increase of 8.7 percentage points compared to 2022.

In 2024, the ecological and environmental departments will enhance institutional innovation in key fields, such as the “beautiful village” initiative, domestic wastewater treatment in rural areas, monitoring of polluted land parcels, and control and treatment of soil and groundwater pollution at enterprise sites and industrial parks.

Jiangsu will focus on four key tasks to control agricultural, soil and groundwater pollution.

Firstly, the province will promote sewage treatment in 600 administrative villages tailored to local conditions.

Secondly, Jiangsu will complete the cleanup of 15 polluted water bodies under national monitoring.

Thirdly, Jiangsu will enhance efforts in soil pollution risk control, particularly in the high-risk plots, introduce a list of land parcels under various treatments, and improve soil pollution risk management at lands designated for construction.

Fourthly, Jiangsu will strengthen the prevention and control of soil and groundwater pollution at its source, addressing pollution from cadmium and other heavy metals at agricultural lands, speeding up major projects, and intensifying efforts at enterprise premises and chemical parks.