Lake chief system clarifies who has duty of protection

THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES have vowed to establish a lake chief system before the end of this year to further strengthen the protection of the country's water resources. Guangming Daily commented on Monday:

The lake chief system is an extension of the river chief system that was introduced two years ago. The river chiefs are held accountable for any polluting of or damage to the rivers they are in charge of, and the lake chiefs will likewise be accountable for the lakes they are responsible for.

The system of water chiefs puts an end to the former dilemma of which local government departments were responsible for protecting the rivers and lakes in their areas.