Acid rain has caused billions of dollars in damage to farms and forests, officials say.
A federal agency yesterday disclosed that economic losses caused by toxic rainfall were five times greater than originally feared with some precipitation nearly as acidic as vinegar.
'China has declared war on acid rain,' the National Environmental Protection Agency said.
Acid rain cost the mainland more than 110 billion yuan (HK$102.85 billion) a year - the equivalent of 10 per cent of the national budget, the agency said.
Damage figures did not include calculations on the impact of acid rain on buildings or heritage sites, although the Government has warned pollution poses a threat to such cultural relics as Datong's Yungang Buddhist Grottoes.
Emissions of tonnes of sulphur dioxide from coal-fired factories and power plants are blamed for acid rain, which affects 40 per cent of the mainland.
