Tighter supervision needed

That efforts to dilute the cadmium content in the Longjiang River in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region are still being made, more than two weeks after it was first discovered, shows the seriousness of the contamination.

Despite the optimism local officials have displayed about the safety of the water supply in the city of Liuzhou and areas surrounding the lower reaches of Longjiang River, it is legitimate for local residents to question why local authorities withheld information about the pollution for days before telling the public.

Apart from the efforts to dilute the cadmium content and to supply residents with enough safe water for daily use, local authorities need to investigate thoroughly the root cause of the incident.