Environment officials swim in once-polluted river  

浙江千人横渡兰江 15位环保局长带头游泳

一座城市的河流是否污染严重，父母官敢不敢下水游泳成为重要衡量标准。”9月7日上午，浙江兰溪举行首届“保护母亲河，畅游兰江”活动，来自金华各县市的近千名游泳爱好者聚集在这里，从中洲公园阳光沙滩下水，游向对面的水门码头。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- Fifteen environment officials in Zhejiang province swam in the province's Lanjiang River on Saturday, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Lanxi city, which hosted a swimming event, invited the officials on Saturday. Nearly 1,000 citizens were also at the event.

Shi Tongyong, head of the environmental protection bureau, said the event was aimed at showing the improvement of Lanjiang River's water quality and raising the public's awareness of environmental protection.

In 2011, the river failed to meet standards and was unsafe for swimming, he said, adding that in the past two years, more than 500 unlicensed workshops and 200 factories had been shut down, and 66 projects that would pollute the waters were denied.

Now, it is safe for people to swim there, he said.

Internet users said they wanted all environment officials to follow suit.