About 22 billion tons of industrial waste and daily sewage was discharged into the Yangtze in 2001, 1.4 billion tons less than the previous year, according to the latest communiqui from the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee.

Water pollution along China's longest river has been somewhat alleviated as major metropolises along the river, such as Shanghai and Wuhan, have enhanced their capability to process sewage and industrial waste.

Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province in central China, is constructing more sewage farms.

However, owing to ballooning population and vigorous industrial and agricultural production, as well as speedy modernization, the Yangtze still faces severe water pollution, said Shen Tai, deputy director of the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee.

According to the committee's communiqui, the water quality of the Yangtze failed to improve during the past year as the proportions of clean, drinkable and polluted water almost did not change.

Moreover, some freshwater lakes attached to the Yangtze, such as Chaohu and Taihu, still suffer severe eutrophication, a problem of being rich in minerals but too shallow with not enough oxygen.

Shen said as the population will continue to increase and the economy will further develop in future along the Yangtze, the river's water pollution problem will also continue.

But he was confident that as the industrial waste processing capability increases step by step, the river's water pollution still can be alleviated.

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2003)