A ZHEJIANG Province entrepreneur is offering a 200,000 yuan (US$32,000) reward to a senior environmental protection official if the official swims in a polluted river for 20 minutes, as part of an attempt to draw attention to environmental plights in the province.

    Jin Zengmin, chief executive of a Hangzhou eyeglasses retailer, announced the reward on Sina Weibo on Saturday. “If the environmental protection bureau chief dares to swim in [Ruian’s] river for 20 minutes, I will pay [him] 200,000 yuan,” Jin wrote.

    In three photos Jin posted, a river in Ruian City is seen entirely blocked by floating rubbish. Jin blamed a rubber overshoe factory for dumping industrial waste into the river.

    Ruian’s environmental protection bureau chief, Bao Zhenmin, acknowledged the river was polluted but said the rubbish was from people, not factories.

    “Overpopulation of this region is the main reason behind the pollution. [The population] has largely exceeded the local environment’s capacity,” Bao said.

    Bao said the Xianjiang area along the river has 44,000 residents, but the migrant population amounts to 80,000 more people. Zhejiang and its many factories draw hundreds of thousands of migrants from across the country every year.

    Bao said a complete water recycling system will be in place within three years. The plan includes a trash recycling site and a wastewater treatment plant. (SD-Agencies)