PRC Admits Water Situation In Beijing "Grim" - Pumping 300 Million M3 From Hebei Province - Reuters

[hatrack]

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's capital started pumping "emergency" water from its long-parched neighboring province on Thursday, with officials speaking of a "grim" shortfall weeks after the Olympics when they said the city had enough water.

Hebei, which surrounds Beijing, will pump 300 million cubic meters of water to the capital from three dams which usually supply nearby farms, towns and cities, the province water office said on its website (www.hebwater.gov.cn).

Officials said the capital faced a serious shortfall but made no secret of the strains the transfer places on Hebei, which faces its own chronic water scarcity.

"Owing to continuous drought in recent years, the water situation in the capital Beijing is grim and water sources are quite strained," said a statement on the website, adding that the two government had reached an agreement on the supplies. "This water is being transferred in circumstances when our province's water resources are extremely scarce and is an emergency transfer."

EDIT

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSPEK9726420080918?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews

[tom_paine]

1. Chinese Commies are just like Bushies, if they say the situation is grim

it is almost certainly much MUCH worse.

[hogwyld]

2. They can always boost their water supplies

with melamine...

[XemaSab]

3. Where are those 300 million people going to GO?

/poor reading comprehension