Ecological environment protection and water pollution control is important to industrialization. A series of new policies were released on Thursday to protect the environment as Southwest China's Guizhou province undergoes development.

In order to battle pollution, the authorities in Guizhou have issued a handful of standards specifically geared for the disposal of industrial and other similar waste.

Guizhou has issued the Standard for Pollution Control on the Storage and Disposal Site for General Industrial Solid Wastes in Guizhou province. It is the first local standard nationwide for general industrial solid waste management, a senior official said.

Located upstream of the Yangtze River and Pearl River, Guizhou province faces difficulties in preserving its ecological environment while developing industrialization.

As statistics show, Guizhou produced 7,835 tons of industrial solid waste in 2012, ranking 15th in China. Meanwhile, its comprehensive utilization rate has just reached 39 percent, short of the national standard by 24 percent.

"With the new standard, prevention and management of environmental pollution resulting from slag yards and tailings ponds leak will be properly solved," said Jiangning, deputy director of the Guizhou Provincial Environmental Protection Authority.

"Beyond the national standard, the more specific and detailed new standard better suits Guizhou’s industrialization development," he added.

Cai Jinliang, vice-president of Hydro China Guiyang Engineering Corporation, said the new standard clarifies industrial solid waste storage and plant site selection rules in karst regions. The standard also adds some environmental requirements.

"Fund shortages and other limits, as well as environmental damage, have caused problems. Therefore, to change the current situation, 179 standardized industrial slag yards are being constructed in line with the new standard. We are confident we will develop the economy while maintaining the environment," Jiang said.