China's environment ministry strives for better water, air, soil protection

BEIJING - Three new departments under the Ministry of Environmental Protection, dedicated to water, air and soil protection, are all set for operation after personnel reported for duty, the ministry announced Monday.

The three departments have been reorganized from two departments on pollution prevention and control, and pollution emission control, both of which have been dissolved.

The reshuffle will help the ministry better monitor and curb pollution in these three areas.

China released an action plan on soil pollution in May, in which the State Council vowed to curb soil pollution by 2020 and improve soil quality by 2030, completing the tasks outlined in action plans on environmental degradation issued by the central government.