Chinese Water Torture
China's severe water shortages are worsening due to heavy pollution of lakes and aquifers and urban development projects with a big thirst for water, such as lawns and fountains, state media reported.
Experts warned that more than 300 million rural Chinese lack clean drinking water since most waterways are fouled by industrial effluent, untreated sewage and runoff of agricultural chemicals from fields.
A survey in January found that only 47 per cent of water in major rivers is drinkable, while half of all lakes are heavily polluted. And 35 per cent of ground water is undrinkable due to pollution, Xinhua reported.
"Hundreds of thousands (of) Chinese are afflicted with various diseases from drinking water that contains too much fluorine, arsenic, sodium sulphate or bitter salt," it quoted Wang Shucheng, minister of water resources, as saying.
Leading Cause of Death
The Water Wars Part II
The Water Wars Part I
China Faces Severe Water Problems
Experts warned that more than 300 million rural Chinese lack clean drinking water since most waterways are fouled by industrial effluent, untreated sewage and runoff of agricultural chemicals from fields.
A survey in January found that only 47 per cent of water in major rivers is drinkable, while half of all lakes are heavily polluted. And 35 per cent of ground water is undrinkable due to pollution, Xinhua reported.
"Hundreds of thousands (of) Chinese are afflicted with various diseases from drinking water that contains too much fluorine, arsenic, sodium sulphate or bitter salt," it quoted Wang Shucheng, minister of water resources, as saying.
Leading Cause of Death
The Water Wars Part II
The Water Wars Part I
China Faces Severe Water Problems
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