China to delegate approval powers for water conservancy projects

BEIJING — The central government will delegate some approval powers to departments at lower levels for government-funded water conservancy projects, China's top economic planner said Tuesday.

Reservoir projects with a capacity of less than 1 billion cubic meters or a dam lower than 70 meters are subject to approval by departments at the provincial level, according to a guideline released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The projects should be reported to the NDRC for filing, it said.

As it cuts red tape in project approval, the NDRC will work with related departments to lay out specific plans and enhance guidance.

The NDRC also asked local governments to strengthen supervision over the projects and improve services.