China gets $800 mn loan to clean up lake

Beijing, Dec 20 (IANS) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved loans worth $800 million to China’s east Anhui province to improve the water and surrounding environment of a major lake, authorities said Tuesday.

The loans will be used to intercept sewage flowing into the Chaohu lake, dredge the tributaries, renovate dikes, build lake bank roads as well as reinforce environmental monitoring, Xinhua quoted an official as saying.

The ADB is already handling the first loan of $250 million.

As one of China’s five largest freshwater lakes, Chaohu lake, covers an area of 13,000 square km.

Heavy use and local industrial development in recent years have made it one of China’s most polluted lakes.