From Chinese Press

Water problems run deep

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-04 09:48

China's water pollution problem underscores the lack of equilibrium between local governments and waste-disposing enterprises, as the benefiting side, and the public, which has to make do with polluted water, says an article on rednet.cn. Excerpts:

The country has seen a series of water pollution incidents recently. Recurring cases of water pollution highlight the grave situation that 320 million people in the countryside still face.

In marked contrast, the UN 64 session recognized access to safe and clean water as a basic human right.

To be honest, the central government has made a lot of efforts and issued strict regulations to improve the situation, though local governments have often been reluctant to shut down enterprises discharging polluting elements into water bodies and the atmosphere.

The local governments don't impose the regulations on such enterprise because if they are shut down many workers would lose their jobs, which could cause social instability. Besides, in many cases the local governments have "delicate links" with such enterprises.

The key to fixing this problem is to train and help workers, who are or could be laid off because of the closure of such enterprises, to find new jobs.