WUHAN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan, one of the largest cities on the middle reach of the Yangtze River, launched an environmental conservation project Wednesday to reduce the number of wharfs and barges.

The project will target 103 wharfs and 189 barges at the core areas of the Yangtze, China's longest river, and the Hanjiang River in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.

Through dismantling, relocating and merging, the local government aims to bring the number of wharfs and barges down by 61.2 percent and 63.5 percent respectively.

Liu Ziqing, deputy mayor of Wuhan, said the old wharfs along the rivers had once made great contributions to the city's social and economic development.

However, as the city develops, Liu said that the wharfs eroded precious shoreline resources, affecting Wuhan's riverside landscape, hindering the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and damaging the environment of the Yangtze.

The project is expected to be completed before April 20.

A plan released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Development and Reform Commission in China outlined tasks to improve Yangtze water quality by 2020.

Tasks include strengthening industrial, agricultural and shipping pollution treatment, ensuring safety of drinking water source quality and cracking down on ecological destruction. Enditem

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