BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhuanet) --Strengthening environmental control has been listed as a priority as Chinese lawmakers and advisors meet. Last April, a government report stated nearly a fifth of China's arable land was polluted -- a severe warning for the country's industrialization and commercialization. In today’s Agenda in Action, our reporter Han Bin goes to Central China’s Hunan Province. It’s one of the key centers for minerals and heavy metal production, as well as major crops like rice. The local government has begun to shut down polluting companies, but activists say the clean-up is far from over.
A soldier on the battlefield in the fight against pollution. For the past few years, Liu Ke has been taking pictures of Zhu Bugang, an industrial park, and heavy metal pollution area. Some thirty factories have been shut down since last year..
"As we were not allowed to get into the factories to carry out inspections, we had to search for pollutants along the river. Waste water was usually red, black, white, blue and purple. People called it the Multicolored River. The smell was horrible. They have polluted the river and damaged farmland. The government’s clean up program has brought some changes. I've found that birds are coming back. I hope the eco-system may return to normal some day," Liu said.
Changes come at a high price, and are often painful. Su Xidong recalls that the government had invited his chemical plant in the rush for development. At that time, commercial interests trumped environmental impact.
"It's so hard to see the factory close. We've been working here for more than 20 years and do not want to move away," Su said.
The severity of pollution has forced the government to reconsider the 1980s policy of economic growth first. Before long, Su’s factory will be cleared away. But no one knows the degree of water and soil contamination. Despite their victories, Liu Ke and his colleagues are aware of the challenges ahead. They have campaigned to draw attention to the river’s declining health, and forced more factories to adopt effective pollution control measures.
They advocate explicit legislation on soil and water protection, as well as improving government standards. They have drawn up this pollution map along the Xiangjiang River. Most factories have taken some treatment measures for heavy metals and chemicals. But it also indicates that the battle for real change hasn't even started. Liu's organization, Green Hunan, is an NGO focusing on protecting the Xiangjiang. It's growing in popularity.
"We encourage more people to take part in the campaign in the fight against pollution. One person can hardly change anything, but more people together will finally make a fundamental change. My biggest wish is that when my son grows up, he'll still want to stay in his hometown. I hope he will continue our efforts in the protection for a better environment as well," Liu said.
Compared with air pollution, water and soil pollution can sometimes be invisible. But experts believe they can be more harmful, and even harder to undo. China 's fast industrialization has left widespread environmental problems. Whatever steps are taken, the effects on its people, and the cost to growth, will be felt for many years to come.
(Source: english.CNTV.cn)
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