Despite a 60 billion yuan investment spent over a decade to clean up the Huai River, the latest data shows that the river is the most polluted it has ever been. On top of the industrial development along waterways, water shortages in the major Chinese river systems are rapidly becoming a reality. Earlier this year, the flow in one of the sources of the Yellow River actually stopped, sparking much concern in China and around the world.

A six month investigation into the water treatment plants and polluting industries along the Huai River’s length covered four provinces, 21 cities and 91 counties. Deputy Chief of the National Environmental Protection Bureau, Pan Yue, acknowledged the intractability of the problem.

The measures adopted in two, five-year plans for the Huai River are the only instance of pollution control for a single river and pollution prevention began on the Huai River before any other river in China. Yet despite the massive investment and mobilization of resources, positive results have yet to be seen. From late January to early May of this year, pollution in 13 branches of the Huai River has exceeded allowable limits. The COD (chemical oxygen demand – a measure of the total level of pollution) of the wastes entering the river are the highest yet recorded and the volume of wastewater entering the river is also exceeding the 1993 levels.

The Huai River Basin has seen growth in GDP of 134 percent since 1996. A paper mill contributing about 3.4 percent to the local economy accounts for over 47 percnet of the COD of the river waters. Another industry contributes over 9 percent to the local economy but pollutes the river with over 77 percent of the ammoniacal nitrogen to be found in the water.

It appears that natural resources are taking a “back seat” to the growth of the economy.