This is NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Liu Yan in Beijing. Here is the news.
China's central environmental authority has ordered local government to tackle pollution with Baiyangdian Wetland in north China's Hebei Province.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the provincial government of Hebei jointly invited officials of the municipal government of Baoding for a talk on this issue.
The Baoding government was ordered to practice its duty and strengthen management of construction projects around the wetland, which is north China's largest freshwater wetland around 150 kilometers away from Beijing.
The wetland is known for scenic views and ecological functions. It is also an important site for migratory birds on the East Asian-Australian flyway.
Earlier reports revealed that some unauthorized development projects have polluted the environment and caused damages to the wetland's ecology.
During the talk, officials from the ministry's environmental inspection department urged local officials to conduct a thorough check and strictly punish environmental violations in the area.
No industrial waste can be discharged into the wetland. Domestic sewage runoff by nearby residents should be properly handled; and illegal aquaculture and tourism projects in the wetland will be cleaned up.