A group of members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) have called for dealing with the pollution before a major project is started to transport water from south China to the water-short north.

The CPPCC members, some of whom are experts on water conservation, recently visited Cangzhou City, in north China's Hebei Province, to study issues related to the massive project.

The water is severely polluted in the area, bringing heavy financial losses and causing diseases among local residents, according to a city government official of Cangzhou.

The pollutants mainly come from industries surrounding the cities in the area, including waste water from Dezhou City, Shandong Province, the official said.

Meanwhile, Tianjin Municipality, another neighbor of the city, has set up a dam to block the polluted water, the official noted.

(People's Daily 01/08/01)