Big grant to fight China's waterway pollution

China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) has arranged for CNY5 billion-worth (USD772 million) of support for pollution control projects along major rivers or lakes in the country.

The special funding will go to the pollution prevention and control efforts for the Huaihe, Haihe, Liaohe and Songhua rivers, and the three lakes of Taihu, Chaohu and Dianchi, according to Xinhua.

The funding will be given in the form of rewards rather than subsidies, the ministry said, adding that the allocation of the funds will be linked directly to the assessment results of pollution control. The cleaner the river or lake, the more funds local governments can get.

The ministry said local governments should take responsibility to reduce the sewage water and pollutants discharged into major rivers and lakes across the country.