The sixth session of the 13th Shanxi Provincial People's Congress reviewed and approved the "Regulations on the Protection of the Fenhe River in Shanxi Province (Draft)" on Jan 23. 

The Fenhe River is the second largest tributary of the Yellow River and the largest river in North China's Shanxi province.

In response to practical problems facing the protection of the river, Shanxi has formulated three local regulations, which have achieved certain results in promoting the ecological restoration and protection of the Fenhe River basin.

"Some of the provisions of the three regulations are stated multiple times, and the content is not cohesive enough. They can no longer handle the new situation, tasks and high-quality development of river protection," said Cai Fenxiang, vice-chairman of the Legislative Committee of Shanxi Provincial People's Congress.

The new regulation draft makes clear the provisions on planning and control, water resource management, water pollution prevention and control, ecological protection and the restoration of the river.

For example, it stipulates the delineation of key pollutant discharge control areas within a certain range on both sides of the upper reaches of the Fenhe River, as well as a negative list of related industries so as to ensure that the water quality will be improved.

The regulations will take effect on March 1.