CHINA: North-eastern city of Harbin, home to nine million people, without water supply after toxic pollution of local river

Record ID: 217123

  • Title: CHINA: North-eastern city of Harbin, home to nine million people, without water supply after toxic pollution of local river
  • Date: 26th November 2005
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN LINE TO COLLECT WATER FROM WATER DELIVERY TRUCKS (4 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 11th December 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1CGL43G30O40IS94ECQMCB6VI
  • Story Text: An 80-km (50-mile) slick of polluted water is expected to flow down the Songhua river past Harbin, capital of the north-eastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, by Saturday (November 26).
    An explosion two weeks ago at a petrochemical plant upstream dumped 100 tonnes of benzene and other chemicals in the water. Toxins carried in the river were more than 30 times officially acceptable levels. But experts expect it to be diluted downstream when the Songhua converges with other rivers.
    Harbin, which draws its drinking water from the river, has stored 7,150 tonnes of safe water and asked neighbouring cities to stop trucking in bottled water.
    Most residents continued to work and shops and restaurants remained open despite the water supply being cut off since Tuesday (November 22).
    But there were some complaints about hygiene.
    "The water can only be used for drinking and washing. It is not enough for the toilet because our buckets are so small and the water is limited. It is very inconvenient. I hope this situation comes to an end as soon as possible," said Mr. Zhang.
    Waiting in line to collect water in buckets, reactions ranged from stoic acceptance to anxiety.
    "How can we not feel tired? We have to get up to fetch water so early. We have to stand in line early in the morning. Some go at 9 A.M., some at 7 A.M., and some have to go at 5:30 A.M. - it is really tiring. If we don't get there in time then there is no water left," said 65 year-old Li Gui.
    The army has swung into action in Harbin amid disquiet over the handling of a pollution scandal. About 1,000 soldiers and paramilitary police have been deployed to several water plants to instal filters that can more effectively absorb nitrobenzene.
    "The airforce is cleaning the filters, one of the challenges is that the space is narrow and it's difficult for the soldiers to work easily, secondly, this work is new to the soldiers, thirdly, there's a shortage of equipment like ladders so they have to carry the filters out by themselves," said officer Yong Sheng.
    The army has also begun distributing its own supplies of water - gathered from underground sources - to the public.
    "Although the army's supply of underground water is limited, we have cut down our daily consumption so that we can use the water we save to guarantee people's daily use of water," said Jia Yingfei, an army officer.
    Local officials warned residents to be on the lookout for symptoms of benzene poisoning, which can cause anaemia, other blood disorders and kidney and liver damage.
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