China has failed in its efforts to check the degeneration of its
water quality, a top environment official said at a seminar on
Tuesday, World Water Day.
"China has taken many steps to control water contamination, but
its speed across the country has not been arrested," said Liu
Hongzhi, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection
Administration's (SEPA's) Department of Pollution Control.
More than 70 percent of the nation's rivers and lakes are
polluted. The Huaihe is dirtier than at any time in its history,
and 40 percent of the Yellow River, the country's second's longest,
is useless, according to SEPA.
Moreover, over 300 million people in rural areas do not have
adequate potable water. As a result, hundreds of thousands are
afflicted with various diseases from drinking water that contains
too much fluorine, arsenic, sodium sulfate or bitter salt, revealed
Wang Shucheng, minister of Water Resources.
Data collected from 345 sections of 175 major rivers by the
ministry in January show only 46.7 percent of the country's river
water is drinkable. Some 35.0 percent of ground water was
undrinkable owing to contamination.
Liu blamed the crisis on the improper policies and lax
administration of the government.
"China failed to list water conservation in its social and
economic plan in the past several years," said Liu. He did not
elaborate.
The country has built approximately 86,000 reservoirs since
1949, which have overtapped more than 60,000 rivers.
Experts at the seminar called for increased education on the
importance of drinking water safety. Academician Mao Zhi of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences called activities leading to water
pollution "contrived poisoning" that should be considered
crimes.
China ranks 82nd in per capita water possession among 132
countries investigated by the World Bank. It has 2,300 cubic meters
of water for each person, one-fourth the world's average.
(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2005)