Daily Lessons from Life 31 January 2012 - China detains seven over river pollution scandal

Could not believed that it is the LAST day of January 2012 today!! How time fly!!

"China detains seven over river pollution scandal - AFP 31 January 2012

SHANGHAI: China has detained seven company executives after suspected industrial waste discharges polluted a river with toxic cadmium, threatening drinking supplies for millions, state media said Tuesday.

The discharges have contaminated a 100-kilometre (60-mile) stretch of the Longjiang River in the southern region of Guangxi, sparking panic buying of bottled water in nearby cities, the official China Daily reported.

One company called Jinhe Mining Co. has been blamed for dumping cadmium -- a carcinogen which can seriously damage the kidneys, bones and respiratory system -- into the river, in a spill that was discovered on January 15.

But the government has decided to widen the crackdown to go after other polluters, inspecting more than a dozen factories on the river and stopping production at seven plants.

The initial spill happened in Hechi city but was now flowing downstream, endangering drinking water for 1.5 million people in Liujiang city. It was also approaching Liuzhou city, with a population of 3.7 million, reports said.

Authorities have mobilised thousands of soldiers to dump chemical neutralisers into the river to dilute the cadmium, but levels of the chemical were still more than 25 times higher than the official limit Monday in some parts.

Many waterways in China have become heavily contaminated with toxic waste from factories and farms, in pollution blamed on three decades of rapid economic growth and lax enforcement of environmental protection laws.

Activists say officials often turn a blind eye to industrial pollution or even collude with companies to promote local economic development."

It is EASY to go for the immediate benefits and be BLIND to the threat and irrepairable damages in the future. This is SO when the 'culprits' can walk away from it freely! Of course, the fact that most do not have, or had lost their, conscience!

Lessons for me are:

1. 'short term gain without having to bear the long term pain' will PROMOTE irresponsible behaviours;

2. to stop this irresponsible short term behaviours, commensurate penalties MUST be meted out to those responsibel for the irresponsible short term acts;

3. when the AUTHORITIES themselves are NOT reminding shortermism is forbidden, then the PEOPLE, or the Victims, MUST exert this right. And they will as I alluded to in another piece of writing in this blog when there is NO other place to turn to to air their grivences.

May China's people realize how they can play a pivotal role to STOP the irrepairable pollution and poisoning of their waterway, and eventually the very precious underground water!