The General Office of the State Council recently praised the provincial governments of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Anhui for their management of water resources over the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period.

Zhejiang was rated the best among the four nominees.

The province's annual water consumption dropped from 18.61 billion cubic meters in 2015 to 16.39 billion cubic meters in 2020. Water consumption per 10,000-yuan ($1,554) GDP in Zhejiang plummeted by 37.1 percent during the five year period.

The passage rate for major rivers and lakes in Zhejiang in the annual test of water quality rose from 79.1 percent in 2015 to 97.5 percent in 2020.

Fish farmers release fish they have raised for one year into Qiandao Lake in Chun'an county, Zhejiang province. [Photo/China Daily]