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80-kilometer pollution slick reaches Harbin city
(Xinhua/AFP/China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-24 15:25 Xinhua news agency quoted government sources as saying that Harbin needs
1,400 tons of active carbon to purify the contaminated water in the Songhua but
is currently 700 tons short.
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Chinese residents queue up to collect water
from a tanker in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province, November
23, 2005. [newsphoto]
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The polluting material index had dropped to 29 times above national safety
levels when the contaminants reached the border of Jilin and Heilongjiang on
Sunday, the EPA said.
The provincial government had warned Harbin residents to stay away from the
river to avoid possible exposure to airborne contaminants coming off the water.
Before the taps were closed at midnight on Tuesday, panicked residents rushed
stores to stock up on food and water in a city where winter temperatures
regularly drop below minus 20 Celsius.
Prices of bottled water soared in recent days and shops had been ordered to
restore prices to normal to prevent panic buying.
Despite the water cut-off, officials have assured residents of normal
operation of the city's heating system, but advised them not to take water from
the system for household use.
By Wednesday, the panic buying of water and attempts to get out of the city
were not as frantic as in previous days.
Adding to residents' relief was 15 hours of water supply to parts of the city
and availability of bottled water in shops and supermarkets.
Zhao Wanxia, a saleswoman, said she had stored enough water to last for a few
days. "I first wash vegetables, then use the water to clean the floor or flush
the toilet."
More than 16,000 tons of bottled water was being transported to Harbin from
neighbouring cities including 10 train carriages carrying 1,000 tons from
Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province.
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