Rural planning law under review

A draft rural planning law would regulate wastewater treatment in rural areas, the South China Morning Post reported. The law, under review by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, is the country's first to look into rural planning issues. Zhao Hui, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Construction's rural construction department, said the regulations governed by the rural planning law would be released by year's end. This would include standards for treating sewage and other waste. Zhao said more than half the country's wastewater is produced in rural areas, which usually lack treatment systems.