Good riddance to stinky riverfront
Print Edition
PEOPLE living along the Tangjiabang River in Qibao Town recently moved back home after being moved during an 18-month waterway cleanup.
They were overjoyed to find that their river was back to its original clean waters and rubbish-free banks after falling victim to severe pollution.
A resident surnamed Yang from the village of Huxing said living riverside had become a torture before the cleanup. The riverbanks were crowded with illegal structures packed with migrant squatters, and garbage and excrement were poured into the river. The odor in the area was rank.
“The whole place was very stinky, and no one dared open windows facing the river,” said Yang. “The river was dirtier than a public toilet.”
People living in the illegal structures endured much misery. Hygiene conditions were deplorable. Houses were full of mold, and walkways packed with rubbish and tangled overhead wires. The place survived for as long as it did because of an acute shortage of housing for migrant workers.
The situation finally became so critical that authorities were forced to act. A massive cleanup campaign was launched. The government moved registered residents and paid for their temporary accommodation. Illegal buildings were demolished, heavy equipment was brought in to dredge the river and brigades of workers cleared all the refuse from its banks.
Because the river was linked to other waterways in the town, including the Sanqiaogang River, all polluted waterways were also cleaned up.
The whole project was completed at the end of last year, and residents allowed to start moving back home.
District officials said the campaign corrected a mistake of the past by cleaning up all waterways in the area instead of just one. An integrated campaign is necessary if the outcome is to be sustained.
This year, another 129 rivers are targeted for cleanup, including waterways in Huacao, Pujiang, Zhuanqiao and Meilong towns, officials said.
Every river had been given an appointed director, usually a local environmental protection officer, who is responsible for cleaning, linking as well as maintaining the rivers.
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