NPC to draft Yellow River protection law

China's top legislature is placing the drawing up of legislation to protect the Yellow River on this year's work agenda, to strengthen environmental conservation and the development of special basins nationwide.

The legislative plan was released by Wang Fengchun, an official from the Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee with the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, at a news conference on Tuesday.

He said lawmakers will draw on their experience of drafting the Yangtze River Protection Law, which was passed by the NPC Standing Committee at the end of last year and will take effective on March 1, while making the Yellow River legislation. The law will not only improve environmental protection in the basin, but also ensure social and economic development in the area.

Legislators will solicit opinions from "all walks of life" in devising the Yellow River legislation, Wang added.

China has accelerated the drawing up of laws on environmental protection in recent few years.

Besides approving the Yangtze River Protection Law, which was the first piece of legislation approved for a special basin, legal measures have been used to improve environmental supervision and dispense harsher punishments to polluters.