Writer decries river's pollution

On Chinese New Year's Eve this year, people living near Sun Moon Lake (日月潭), in central Nantou County, rang copper bells at five temples 108 times simultaneously to prevent disasters, pray for good fortune, and seek peace.

In Buddhist philosophy, there are 108 mental defilements. It is believed that by ringing the bell 108 times on New Year's Eve, one can erase past mental impurities and start the year anew.

Whether pollution disasters resulting from the discharge of household waste water from residential areas and hotels around the renowned scenic spot can be eliminated by the ringing of the bells this year remains uncertain.

Water pollution in the artificial lake has shocked Wu Sheng (吳晟), 59, known to many as the as "poet of the soil." When he visited the scenic spot in June last year, the water level of the lake was very low due to the drought. The low levels exposed aqueducts connected to residential areas and hotels.

"Discharging household waste water into the lake through hidden aqueducts" is a shocking phenomenon Wu said.

"There are no sanitary sewers at all," Wu said.

Wu said that the lower water level revealed the existence of waste hidden in the lake for a long time.

Walking along the drained slope surrounding the lake, he saw struggling egrets searching for food in swamps inundated with dark sewage, large industrial batteries, abandoned nylon fishing nets and broken boats.

"It's outrageous that the government did not seize the post-921 reconstruction period as an opportunity to solve this long-term pollution problem," Wu said.

In September, 1999, the scenic spot was severely destroyed by the devastating temblor that claimed 2,400 lives.

"We don't see the government managing the place with any concept of sustainable development," Wu said.

Wu is especially upset with the establishment of a luxurious hotel, the Lalu (涵碧樓).

In a newly released book, A Note on the Choshui River (筆記濁水溪)," Wu described his grief and the indignation that was aroused by human damage to the environment of the lake in seven articles.

Wu's accusation was not unprecedented. As early as March last year, one month after the completion of the hotel, residents complained to the local government about the smell of effluents coming from the hotel.

The Environmental Protection Bureau of Nantou County Government carried out field investigation several times, confirming that effluents discharged from the hotel did not meet regulations.

"Later, the hotel was forced to enhance it's sewage treatment systems. Now the water quality of the lake meets official standards," said Lin Lung-ju (林隆儒), an environmental official in charg of water quality protection.

Lin said that the water quality is monitored monthly because confirmed pollutants include residential sewage and residue of insecticides spread in farmland upstream but flushed downstream by rainwater.

After he was invited as a visiting writer to Nantou County, Wu spent a lot of time around Choshui River last year. There he wrote 23 articles about the country's longest river.

In the book, Wu also describes how the environment was damaged by the construction of Chi-Chi Common Diversion Project. After the construction was completed in 2001, the government has been criticized for relying on cement to build Chi-Chi Weir (集集攔河堰) in the middle of the river.