China has unveiled a plan to prevent soil and underground-water pollution and protect the rural environment during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

The plan, jointly issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Development and Reform Commission, and five other government bodies, detailed tasks to tackle key issues in the fight against the pollution of soil and underground water, and to enhance environmental governance in agriculture and rural areas.

The country will step up its efforts on the source control of farmland pollution, preventing soil pollution from industrial and mining enterprises, and advancing the control and remediation of soil pollution on construction land, according to the plan.

The country will establish a system for managing the prevention and control of underground-water pollution, improve the treatment of domestic sewage and household garbage in rural areas, and ensure the safety of drinking-water sources for rural residents, it said.

Efforts will also be made to tighten supervision of the ecological environment, while strengthening law-enforcement against environmental pollution, and boosting scientific and technological support for ecological protection, it stated.