Word: harbin
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...Harbin, the biggest panic came on the day the government announced it would shut off the water without saying why. When the truth came out a day later?in what the official Xinhua news agency admitted was a "U-turn"?the city calmed and the emergency response was efficient. Government engineers dug up to 100 wells around Harbin and plenty of bottled water was shipped in. Chinese newspapers jumped on the story and openly accused the government of a cover-up. "The panic and chain reaction caused by the failure to make information public," reported the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning...
...authorities seemed to have learned a lesson. When a smaller petrochemical factory in Chongqing blew up last week, resulting in another benzene leak (and forcing the evacuation of 6,000 residents), the government announced the news almost immediately. On Saturday, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao made a surprise visit to Harbin to thank paramilitary troops distributing water-filtration kits in the city. "We must not allow the masses to be short of water," he said...
...Water is the biggest environmental problem in China," says Turner of the China Environment Forum. At a conference in Beijing last month, Chinese Vice Minister of Construction Qiu Baoxing said the country is "facing a water crisis more severe and urgent than any other country in the world." In Harbin, there were obvious signs that the incident had frayed the people's faith in their rulers. Trains and planes out of the city were jammed. Near the village of Yuliu, downriver from Harbin, someone took it on himself to post a homemade sign near the river. "The water has poison...
...environmental disaster that has unfolded over the past two weeks in the northeast Chinese city of Harbin has the makings of a great story: explosion at large petrochemical plant releases toxic pollutants into major river, threatening millions; local officials attempt cover-up; panic ensues; wiser voices prevail; corrective action is taken. Unfortunately, the real story remains largely untold. China's rapid economic development, endemic corruption and highly decentralized political system have produced a life-threatening environmental crisis for hundreds of millions of Chinese...
...What will be the lessons of Harbin? In the wake of SARS, China's leaders have become increasingly adept at operating in the harsh spotlight of the international community. After acknowledging some missteps and perhaps removing some culpable officials, they will likely point to the Harbin incident as further evidence of their newfound willingness to deal openly with challenges such as avian flu. Unfortunately, it is unlikely Beijing will recognize the Harbin disaster for what it really is: a wake-up call signaling that without real reform, they risk hundreds of millions of desperately ill citizens, greater social unrest...