Lake's deterioration needs urgent attention

YUEYANG, Hunan - The situation on Dongting Lake, once China's largest freshwater lake, remains grim despite the growing public awareness on ecological conservation, a local environment official has warned.

"I often tell people that our mother lake is seriously ill and needs urgent attention," said Zhao Qihong, director of the administration for East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve.

A number of factors are to blame, he said, with heavy pollution and intense human activities the two biggest culprits, while overexploitation and unscientific development has hastened the lake's deterioration.