Chongqing to Close 800 Polluters Within Three Years

After one year's careful survey, Chongqing municipal government has decided to close 802 polluting, loss-making enterprises in the Three Gorges Region within three years.

There are over 1,500 industrial enterprises that will have to be moved out in support of Three Gorges Reservoir construction, of which 1379 are located in an area under the jurisdiction of Chongqing Municipality. These enterprises, operating with obsolete equipment and a low productivity, have long been run in red and have seriously polluted local environment.

Of these enterprises, state-run, collective-owned and township enterprises, with each taking one third, have been run with about 90,000 workers and staff, for which 2 billion yuan of removal funds as subsidies will be provided by the state. As is demanded, the funds will first be used for resettlement of people who will have to move out of the region, said local official.

According to authorities, closing down these big polluters has the aim not only to alleviate environment pollution of the region, but also makes room for development undertakings of pillar industries. Chongqing will make fullest use of the region's rich natural resources and, as demanded for environment protection, it will step up the effort to develop food and medicine industries.

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