Cities fail to improve water quality

China is making progress in battling the smog that can shroud its big cities, but in some areas, especially in northeastern China, water pollution is still severe.

Seventy-three cities failed to reach water quality targets in the first quarter of 2018, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said on Thursday.

Six of the 10 cities where the problems are most severe are in northeastern China. They include Tieling, Jilin and Siping.