Continued industrial pollution makes further outbreaks inevitable in Anhui, says expert
The risk of another algal bloom on Chao Lake in Anhui province is on the rise as industrial polluters continue to dump waste into the mainland's fifth-largest freshwater lake, defying bans imposed by Beijing, a mainland water expert has warned.
The warning came as the top official in neighbouring Jiangsu pledged to clean up pollution-hit Tai Lake in the next three years, even at the expense of reducing the booming province's economic growth by 15 per cent.
The blue-green algae found in Chao Lake could develop into another major outbreak at any time, said Ma Jun , author of China's Water Crisis and director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Both Chao and Tai Lakes were hit by algae outbreaks last month due to heavy pollution, choking off drinking-water supplies for millions of people. The water crises sparked a public outcry over serious pollution threats and prompted Beijing's crackdown on riverside polluters.
Mr Ma, who concluded an inspection trip to Chao Lake last week, said yesterday: 'Pollution is obviously not under control, as many enterprises in Hefei city's industrial zone still discharge large amounts of pollutants into the lake.'
He said that although the algae's growth had been checked by recent rainfall and the transfer of fresh water from the Yangtze River, an algal bloom still looked likely because of the lake's high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. Both chemicals are widely used in fertilisers and soap powders.