The Guardian reports: Nearly 60% of China’s underground water is polluted, state media has reported, underscoring the severity of the country’s environmental woes.
The country’s land and resources ministry found that among 4,778 testing spots in 203 cities, 44% had “relatively poor” underground water quality; the groundwater in another 15.7% tested as “very poor”.
Water quality improved year-on-year at 647 spots, and worsened in 754 spots, the ministry said.
“According to China’s underground water standards, water of relatively poor quality can only be used for drinking after proper treatment. Water of very poor quality cannot be used as source of drinking water,” said an article in the official newswire Xinhua, which reported the figures on Tuesday.
The Chinese government is only now beginning to address the noxious environmental effects of its long-held growth-at-all-costs development model. While authorities have become more transparent about air quality data within the past year, information about water and soil pollution in many places remains relatively well-guarded. [Continue reading…]
Let’s see…
* Roughly 60% of China’s groundwater is unfit for human consumption
* Roughly 20% of China’s arable land has been contaminated by toxic metals
* Eight of the 10 most air polluted cities are in China
Is there any part of this country which has been a victim of its own environmental degradation? If there is, once it’s been investigated. I’m sure they’ll find that it’s been toxified as well.