The big river flows day and night, and the spring mountains are green on both sides.
Green is the most touching background color of the Yangtze River. In order to protect this background, the Three Gorges Base Company, a subsidiary of the Three Gorges Corporation, has successively started a series of major projects in Hubei Province to protect water resources, control water pollution, and restore the water ecology. Nowadays, the ecological picture scroll of clear water and green banks is slowly unfolding here, and the Yangtze River, which is "green", has given the people along the river more sense of gain.
Restore green and beautiful face, and return green to the people
The tiger roars for the goose, and ten miles for the pavilion. In June 2018, the Three Gorges Base Company of the Three Gorges Corporation launched the Yangtze River Protection Project, which has a total length of 17.2 kilometers of Yangtze River shoreline, and has become a key project for the Three Gorges Corporation and Yichang City, Hubei Province to participate in the protection of the Yangtze River.
Once upon a time, as a production park for chemical companies, it was full of chimneys, tank towers, and pipelines. Nowadays, the strong smell of chemical industry has faded, and the industrial dullness that was once presented together with the black cinder yard and the old streets has been replaced by green, ecology, beauty and nature, and transformed into the pleasant scenery of "424 Park", which "leaves white and green" the Yangtze River and creates a "green lung" for the city. Standing on the embankment of the Yangtze River from Zhengda Road to Yiting Sewage Treatment Plant in Yiting District, looking around, the river is vast and vast, hundreds of boats compete for the stream, and the riverbank is lush and verdant, which makes people feel refreshed and happy.
▲ The embankment of the Yangtze River in Yiting District, Yichang City after restoration
The residents of Gaojiadian Village, Yaoting District, also feel the changes the most. "In the past, the surrounding environment here is not good, the air pollution is serious, there are several farms nearby, the most afraid of summer, the weather is hot and smelly, we dare not open the door, every flood season, but also prone to heavy water, the river is also silt. Ms. Zhou, who has lived in Gaojiadian Village in Yiting District for decades, said.
Nowadays, walking into Gaojiadian Village, the sweet rural atmosphere is blowing in the face, the landscape trail meanders along the Gaoma River, the clear river water passes through the village, the flowers and plants and strange stones contrast with each other, the green trees on the bank are swaying in the wind, and a group of egrets "settle down" here to forage and play, which makes people feel refreshed and refreshing.
▲ After the restoration of the Yangtze River shoreline in Yiting District, Yichang City, surrounding residents came here for a walk and play
"Through governance, the ecological environment here is much better, the water is clear and the banks are green, the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant, there are squares and trails by the river, we will go out for a walk when we are free, dance in the square, which has brought real benefits to our lives, and there are many tourists who come to our farmhouse here to play on weekends." Speaking of the changes in the riverside environment, Mr. Wang, a villager, was quite emotional.
▲ The environment along the Gaoma River after governance Photo: Chen Xuan
In the past six years, with the construction of the Yangtze River Protection Project, the renovation of the pipe network, the improvement and ecological restoration of the shoreline, and the water environment treatment have been carried out one after another, the ecological shoreline of the Yangtze River is constantly regreening, and more and more citizens and tourists are "close" to the Yangtze River here.
Open up the "meridians" of the city and unblock the rain and sewage pipe network
Urban waterlogging control is not only a major livelihood project, but also a major development project. Buried drainage pipes, like the meridians of a city, will cause rainwater and sewage to be discharged directly into the river if there is a problem, affecting the water environment.
In Xingshan County, Yichang City, as the scale of the urban area becomes larger and the population increases year by year, the original sewage pipes gradually appear to be aging, damaged, and seriously infiltrated. The original rainwater pipes in the county are also due to problems such as small pipe diameter and perennial rainwater inlet blockage, and there will be serious water accumulation every summer rainstorm, and sewage will flow sideways in rainy days, and the surrounding residents will be miserable, bringing great inconvenience to local residents' travel and life. The water quality of the Xiangxi River, the mother river of the people of the county, has gradually become turbid. How and when to solve it has become the hope of the people.
The "meridians" are damaged and need to be repaired by filling the leaks. If the "meridians" are blocked, they need to be dredged by removing stasis. In order to systematically solve this livelihood problem, in June 2019, the Three Gorges Base Company implemented the Xingshan County Sewage Pipe Network and Comprehensive Pipe Network Renovation Project and the Xingshan County Township Sewage Pipe Network Reconstruction and Expansion Project, to comprehensively transform the sewage and rainwater pipe network.
▲ Shendu River Sewage Treatment Plant, Xingshan County, Yichang City Photo: Tang Wei
"Now the environment has improved, the city is getting more and more beautiful, and the roads are looking more beautiful. "In the past, the road would accumulate water when it rained, but now after it is repaired, we are no longer afraid of water accumulation in the rain, which solves our big problem." A resident who lives in Xingshan County was moved.
▲ The environment after the transformation of the rain and sewage pipe network in Xingshan County, Yichang City
Nowadays, the urban and rural sewage pipe network in Xingshan County has been fully repaired, and the rainwater pipe network has been basically dredged, and the sewage and rainwater have "gone their own way", which has effectively improved the problems of aging urban and rural rain and sewage pipes, sewage overflow and sewage entering the river in Xingshan County, and realized the diversion of rain and sewage.
Upgrading and expanding the capacity of sewage "has a home to go back to"
Wastewater treatment is a key part of tackling water pollution if people are to have access to safe water. In order to build a demonstration project for the protection of the Yangtze River and effectively prevent the environmental damage of sewage to the Three Gorges Reservoir area, in September 2018, the Three Gorges Base Company implemented the construction of the Quxi Sewage Treatment Plant project in Zigui County, which was completed and put into operation in only 15 months, creating the "Zigui speed" of the Three Gorges Group to participate in the ecological restoration of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
▲ After the completion of the Quxi Sewage Treatment Plant in Zigui County, Yichang City
"The design scale of Quxi Sewage Treatment Plant is to treat 10,000 tons of sewage per day, and the effluent quality reaches the first-class A standard. The service scope of the project covers Jinquancheng New District of Zigui County, the Three Gorges Dam Turning Logistics Industrial Park, the Three Gorges Quyuan Cultural and Ecological Tourism Zone and other areas, serving a population of nearly 70,000 people. Gao Huashan, the project leader, said.
▲ Zigui County, which carried out the "five water co-governance", adhered to the first ecological barrier in the Three Gorges Reservoir area Photo: Mao Xiangchun
Coming to Quxi Sewage Treatment Plant, it is surrounded by green trees, birds and flowers, and fresh air, like an ecological garden, if you don't see it with your own eyes, it is hard to imagine that this is actually a sewage treatment plant.
In Yiling District, Yichang City, there is also a sewage treatment plant "hidden" under Fangcao. Walking into this sewage treatment plant, there is no smell or noise, and you are greeted by lush lawns. "When the plant was first built, we were worried about the impact on the environment, but we didn't expect to build a green space, which not only treats sewage, but also beautifies the environment. Mr. Wang, who lives nearby, said.
▲ After the completion of the Guojiawan Sewage Treatment Plant in Yiling District, Yichang City
The sewage plant he is talking about is the first buried sewage treatment plant in Yichang City, Guojiawan Sewage Treatment Plant. "All of our wastewater treatment process facilities are located below ground, including secondary sedimentation tanks, biochemical tanks, as well as inlet and outlet pump rooms. In this way, not only does it release about 3 football fields of ground space, but it also helps to improve the green coverage of the city, and it does not produce odors and noises, which improves the happiness of residents in the nearby community. Li Tianxiang, the project leader, said the secret of "beautification".
The completion and operation of the sewage treatment plant has greatly increased the sewage treatment capacity of the Guojiawan area, about doubling the existing treatment capacity, and benefiting more than 80,000 people in the area.
Ecological restoration to create "happy rivers and lakes"
As the saying goes, "good mountains make good water". Known as the mother river of Shennongjia, the South River used to be green and green, with flocks of fish and sheep. With the rapid development of the local area, water ecological pollution and potential safety hazards have gradually increased, and the Nanhe River is overgrown with weeds and silt that have accumulated for a long time to block the river, and the sewage is directly discharged, resulting in river pollution. The water of the South River touches the hearts of thousands of people. In the hearts of the local people, the Nanhe River carries not only the clear water, but also a kind of nostalgia and an expectation.
In order to protect the ecological environment of the Shennongjia Forest Area, in April 2018, the Three Gorges Base Company implemented the construction of the Nanhe River Basin Ecological Demonstration Project in the Shennongjia Forest Area to improve the ecological environment of the forest area. Today, the project has been fully completed, walking on the south river side of Yangri Town, the distant mountains are verdant, sparkling, and white walls and tiles dot the mountains, presenting a beautiful picture of a modern countryside.
▲ The South River Basin of the Shennongjia Forest Area after governance
Approaching the Yuyang River in Yichang City, a landscape reservoir project with both "appearance" and "inner beauty" stands impressively, and the design of the bridge and dam is eye-catching, which can facilitate transportation and promote regional integrated development while managing the ecological environment. On the shore of the landscape reservoir is the Yuyang River Ecological Park, which is open to the public free of charge, and the once tidal flat has been transformed into a green park with pleasant scenery, and has become a good place for local residents to take a walk and relax. Walking along the Yuyang River to the Yidu section of the Yangtze River shoreline, the restoration of the Yangtze River shoreline in Yidu Honghuatao Town is advancing.
▲ Yichang Yidu Yuyang River Ecological Park after treatment
▲ The shoreline of Honghuatao Town in Yichang City after restoration
Coming to Gongtang Lake in Zhongxiang City, the lake water is slight, clear and transparent, and a small park scene has been created around the lake, attracting many surrounding residents to come to play and walk. The old man Ao Youde, who is over seventy years old, lives around Gongtang Lake, talking about the changes here, he is full of emotion: "I have lived in these twenty or thirty years, this place used to be dirty and messy, it was a stinky ditch, but now it has changed a lot, it is very beautiful, walking around the lake, the mood is very happy, and the spirit is different." ”
▲ Gongtang Lake in Zhongxiang City after treatment
Standing on the edge of the Yangtze River, the sound of wind blowing and waves is in your ears, and you can feel the beautiful life brought by the changes in the ecological environment, which makes people feel refreshed and happy. One point of deployment, nine points of implementation. Over the past six years, the Three Gorges Base Company has gone all out to promote the construction of the "Yangtze River Protection" project, and is taking practical actions to protect the sustainable eastward flow of the clear water of the Yangtze River.
▲ The main urban area of Yichang, which is half landscape and half city Photography: Tang Wei
The author of this article is Li Yang and Liu Lijia
Except for the signature, the pictures in this article are provided by the Three Gorges Base Company