City vows to stop dumping of human waste

The administrative committee of Luhu Lake and urban management authority have promised to take effective measures to stop the illegal dumping of human waste into the lake, a scenic area in downtown Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

In addition to boosting patrols, authorities have installed more than 70 cameras along the lake, an official from the Luhu Lake administrative committee said.

"The cameras, which cover the entire lake area, will soon be put into operation," said the official surnamed Liu.

Anyone caught red-handed dumping animal or human waste in the lake will be punished to the fullest extent of the law, including heavy fines, he said.

An official from the urban management bureau of Guangzhou's Yuexiu district said the bureau will work with authorities at local scenic spots to prevent the behavior in the coming months.

Substantial amounts of feces were found to have been poured into the lake since mid-July.

According to Liu, workers from his committee were still busy cleaning the waste from the lake on Wednesday.

He said the cleanup will be completed before Monday.

Liu urged government departments to better regulate the operation of local cleaning and sanitation companies to prevent them from pouring waste into the lake.

Guangzhou has a population of more than 16 million and the city generates more than 3,000 metric tons of human waste daily, but can handle only 100 tons. Illegal disposing of feces has become a common practice in the city's sanitation industry, and tons of waste have been poured into the Pearl River and local lakes.

The city has more than 10,000 sanitation companies, but less than 2 percent have business licenses. Unlicensed companies pour the waste into lakes and rivers in the middle of the night, environmental protection officials said.

Residents who live near Luhu Lake said they welcome the installment of the cameras along the lake.

"I really have had enough with the terrible stench after all the waste that has been poured into the lake these days," said An Guoying, a white-collar worker who used to take a walk along the lake every evening.