In deep waters

It is good to know that the 91 billion yuan earmarked for cleaning up the "three rivers and three lakes" has resulted in "certain effects." Or, we would be even more curious about the way the costly, protracted, and most of the time high-profile project has been carried out.

The Liaohe, Haihe and Huaihe rivers as well as the Taihu, Chaohu and Dianchi lakes were first highlighted in our national pollution treatment scheme in the Ninth Five-Year Plan period (1996-2000). Now, we are in the 11th.

Still the National Audit Office found that the water quality there continues to be poor. Given the data cited in the audit report, things are hardly better than they were prior to the high-profile cleanup.