Waterways win 'the most beautiful' in Shanghai

Jiading District has made continuous efforts to treat waterways to create a clean and ecological environment.

Recently, Hengli River, Donghuanggu Pond, Lazhu River, Honggou and Guozetang waterways won the “Most Beautiful Waterways of Shanghai” and the “Best Waterway Treatment Achievements.”

The 1.6-kilometer Donghuagu Pond in Huating Town has been narrowing since the 1980s due to siltation.

In 2017, the town launched a campaign to eliminate illegal waterside buildings.

For many years, both sides of the river had been occupied by illegal buildings while domestic sewage, and enterprise waste water had been continuously discharged into the river, not only reducing its self-purification ability but also leading to the degradation of its ecological functions.

The town demolished riverside heavy pollution enterprises and small illegal buildings so as to effectively block the sources of pollution.

Guozetang Waterway in Waigang Town was one of the two waterways selected by Jiading as Best Waterway Treatment Achievements. In recent years, Guozetang Waterway has recovered the beauty of two decades ago after the river was dredged, buildings protected and the waterside landscape improved.

Long-term management is vital. A professional team will be responsible for daily cleaning and maintenance after waterway treatment, said Li Aiming, deputy director of Jiading District Water Conservancy Management Office.

In recent years, Jiading has carried out the river and lake chief scheme to enhance supervision.

Last year, the district completed the quality treatment of 45.8 kilometers of waterways, opened up 75 streams and finished 160 kilometers of dredging.