Environmental drive at the core of corps' efforts

Prominent ecological problems have been solved and a prevention and control network for conservation has been created in recent years thanks to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

The XPCC established an environmental protection committee and launched systems including compensation for ecological damage and environmental protection responsibility lists for government departments.

The corps also promotes environmental protection in schools, families, government agencies and companies, and gives support to activities that set a good example.

Air quality is among the corps' priorities in recent years. To enact change, the XPCC improved the practices of industries, energy and transportation, jointly enhanced law enforcement for pollution control in different areas, and dealt with emergencies of air pollution in autumn and winter.

The proportion of non-fossil fuel energy consumption in primary energy increased from 2.3 percent in 2016 to 5.1 percent in 2020. This resulted in the fine air quality rate in Wujiaqu and Shihezi cities reaching 73.8 percent and 77.2 percent in 2020, a year-on-year rise of 3.7 percent and 7.9 percent.

The authorities have also paid attention to protecting water resources by defining conservation areas for centralized drinking water in urban regions. As a result, the quality of such water has improved.

The XPCC has promoted the upgrading and renovation of sewage treatment facilities. The corps has 54 urban sanitary sewage treatment plants. As a result, the urban waste water treatment rate has reached 95 percent.

They have also taken measures to protect soil while enhancing the risk management and control of land pollution caused by construction and examining the environmental quality of farmland.

All cities administered by the XPCC have their own household waste landfills. The authorities have put more into the prevention and control of pollution in sectors related to heavy metals. They also helped include 425 organizations that deal with solid waste, including medical and hazardous waste, into the national solid waste management information system.

The XPCC has focused on pollution treatment in rural areas. A rural drinking water project has been implemented, guaranteeing safe drinking water for 35,000 once-impoverished people.

The corps treated agricultural waste and oversaw a reduction in farm chemicals and chemical fertilizers. The comprehensive utilization rate of livestock and poultry feces has reached 87.76 percent, and 98.28 percent of large farms have been equipped with feces disposal facilities.

The XPCC has launched a slew of measures for the systematic protection of mountains, forests, rivers and lakes, grassland and deserts. The efforts include the comprehensive treatment of surrounding areas of deserts. It mainly comprises the restoration of natural plants, artificial windbreaks, the prevention and control of desertification and water-saving irrigation.

Trees extending more than 400 kilometers were planted between the Taklimakan and Kumtag deserts during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), preventing the deserts from merging.

The XPCC has improved the conditions of more than 234,667 hectares of desiccated land during the period. In a large artificial forestry project for China's northwestern, northern and northeastern regions, forest plantations spanning 55,533 hectares and trees covering 45,400 hectares were planted to halt sand and dust storms in that time.

Mao Weihua contributed to this story.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn