Society

Guizhou mulls rules to protect Moutai water source

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-28 19:28

GUIYANG - The legislature of Southwest China's Guizhou province said Sunday it is reviewing proposed regulations to protect the water source of Kweichow Moutai, known as "China's national liquor."

The proposals include a ban on dam construction on the Chishui River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, restrictions on building large poultry farms and a ban on the production, sale and use of detergents with phosphor in the river basin.

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The quality of the Chishui River water was declining due to overuse of water, overexploitation of land and mineral resources, deforestation and soil erosion, said a statement from the legislature, the Guizhou Provincial People's Congress.

Lawmakers were also seeking to control pollutants discharged into the river and to gradually put in place water pollutant trading.

Zhou Zhongliang, secretary general of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Congress, said the regulation was vital in protecting the environment of the Chishui River and safeguard the production environment for leading liquor makers, particularly Kweichow Moutai.

China Kweichow Moutai Distillery Co, the producer of Kweichou Moutai, is an important taxpayer for the Guizhou provincial government, which has spent more than 3 billion yuan ($450 million) to protect the Chishui River.

Other measures the provincial government has taken to protect the environment in Moutai Town, Renhuai city, where the liquor producer is located, include the relocation of 15,000 residents and closure of 400 small liquor workshops.