[Previous entry: "Women 'face worst abuse at home'"] [Next entry: "Vine Deloria: Working with wit and wisdom for Native American rights"]

11/24/2005:

"China's murky waters"

Beijing says 70% of China's rivers and lakes are polluted - and more than 100 cities suffer from extreme water shortages.

The Qingshuixi provides a classic example of what China's authorities are up against.

..."Sixteen million tones of domestic waste water and one million tonnes of industrial waste water flow from the Qingshuixi into the Jialing River annually, " said Wu Dengming, president of Chongqing's Green Volunteer League.

Further downstream, just 3km from the source, the Qingshuixi weaves around Shangqiao, where Chongqing's industry begins.

It is easy to see the oils, acids and electrolytes of the local mechanical engineering companies. Unofficial tests indicate high levels of coliform bacteria.

"This is the first big contamination," explained Wu Dengming. "It's so easy to see the pollution. Qingshuixi used to be called the clear stream - not any more."

By the time it reaches the Jialing, when the main river level is high, the Qingshuixi's outlet is a bubbling, putrid pool of defecation and chemicals.
bbc.co.uk