Southwest China's Chongqing municipality reported great progress in ecological and environmental protection with a total government investment of 20 billion yuan (about US$2.4 billion) in the past 8 years, said Chongqing Mayor Wang Hongju Thursday.

Wang said Chongqing has invested 20 billion yuan to improve the environment of small river valleys, curb land erosion and implement projects to decrease air, water and land pollution sinceit became a municipality in 1997.

The city has built 17 sewage treatment and garbage disposal plants, most of which are in operation. Therefore, 72 percent of the sewage in the city is processed before running into rivers.

Wang also noted that the water in the Three Gorges Reservoir area has kept high quality.

Chongqing has also made some progress in geological disaster prevention, natural forest protection and returning farmland to forest or grassland.

The municipality has replanted 800,000 hectares of trees and grass, increasing forest coverage by ten percent to 27 percent and reducing 11 million tons of silt which used to run into the Yangtze River each year.

To improve environment, the city also relocated 11 companies with serious pollution problems last year and encouraged residents and companies to use clean energy such as natural gas rather than coal.
 
(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2005)