NANJING — A new "joint river chief" system was introduced on Oct 30 in East China to better protect the aquatic environment in the Yangtze River Delta through collaborative efforts.

The newly appointed river chiefs are expected to jointly carry out river patrols, water quality monitoring, law enforcement and consultation, as well as river and lake control, said Li Ming, one of the new river chiefs and district chief of Wujiang, Suzhou city in Jiangsu province.

Local authorities of Shanghai municipality, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces launched the system by the Taipu River in Wujiang, where 41 cross-regional riverways and a dozen cross-regional lakes are located.

Wu Wenqing, head of Taihu Basin Authority under the Ministry of Water Resources, said the new system will promote cross-administrative cooperation and form an integrated pattern on water control.

China's State Council on Oct 29 approved a plan for building a demonstration area in the Yangtze River Delta on ecologically friendly development, calling for more efforts to integrate the green economy, high-quality life and sustainable growth.