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China allocates $489bn for pollution control
July 28, 2013, 3:31 pm

In Beijing, the concentration of airborne particles, called PM 2.5, in January this year averaged nine times the safe level defined by the World Health Organisation [Xinhua]

In Beijing, the concentration of airborne particles, called PM 2.5, in January this year averaged nine times the safe level defined by the World Health Organisation [Xinhua]

China has announced allocating over three trillion yuan ($489.3 billion) to combat the growing pollution of the country’s water and environment.

The government will soon release a 1.7 trillion yuan airborne pollution control plan, while two trillion yuan would be allocated for combating water pollutants, said Wang Tao, an official of China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

He was speaking at an environmental protection industry forum on Sunday.

A recent report from the NPC’s Environment and Resources Protection Committee, cautions that as China steps up its industrialisation and urbanisation drive, environmental pollution and ecological degradation may worsen.

Pollution has been an issue of increasing public concern in Chinese cities.

In Beijing, the concentration of airborne particles, called PM 2.5, in January this year averaged nine times the safe level defined by the World Health Organisation.

China’s energy conservation and environmental protection industry is expected to exceed 10 trillion yuan during the 12th five year plan, a more than 40 percent increase from the 11th, according to Wang.

According to new research released by The Pew Charitable Trusts earlier in April this year, among the Group of 20 nations, China reclaimed the top spot in clean energy investment, attracting $65.1 billion, a 20 per cent increase over 2011 and 30 per cent of the total for the G20 group.

With inputs from Agencies