Wu Qinghua walks on a green trail along Wanjia Lake in WEDZ. [Photo provided to en.whkfq.gov.cn]
On the morning of Aug 21, Wu Qinghua – a resident of Jianhua community in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone – took his morning walk on the green trail along Wanjia Lake.
Flowers can be seen growing around the lake in three seasons, and the vegetation there is lush year-round. The lake used to be a smelly pond filled with weeds and trash.
The 64-year-old Wu has been living near the lake for 20 years. He recalled that long ago, the lake was uncontaminated, and attracted plenty of fish and sea birds. However, places along the coast were filled with sheds growing vegetables and fish. Meanwhile, sewage and industrial polluted water were dumped into the lake and deteriorated the water quality. The foul-smelling smoggy air entered people's homes every time they opened a window.
Things have changed since October 2018, when WEDZ initiated the Wanjia Lake comprehensive water governance campaign. Workers cleaned the mud at the bottom of the lake, planted suitable flora, and reshaped the lake eco-system by releasing freshwater mussels, escargots, and river prawns into the lake.
In addition, the zone has invested 160 million yuan ($23.46 million) in building green trails, cultural squares and recreational lounges for the lake to provide more recreational opportunities to nearby locals.
The water quality of the lake has now reached level-IV.
