By Liang Xiaobo, Correspondent of this newspaper, Intern Liu Qian and Intern Jia Xiaoting
Regarding the series of problems caused by the breach of the Zha River dike in Shenze County resulting in sewage leakage into Tianjiazhuang Village, investigations revealed that the sewage from the Zha River has been tormenting residents along its banks for many years, turning large areas of farmland into wastelands. In response, the Water Conservancy Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau of Shenze County provided explanations regarding the situation of farmland being flooded by Zha River sewage.
■ Villagers
Sewage Troubles for 20 Years, Health at Risk
On the morning of August 23, our reporter learned in Tianjiazhuang Village that the soaking of good farmland, ground fissures, and well water contamination have caused significant losses and panic among residents.
Village chief Li Jun told reporters that the sewage from the Zha River has been troubling villagers for nearly 20 years. "In recent years, more and more people in the village have developed cancer—lung cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer. Among those I know, there are six or seven people who were bedridden in their early forties, completely losing their ability to work."
The villagers suspect that the village's water source has been contaminated by the sewage from the Zha River, leading to a continuous decline in the health of the villagers. Li Jun introduced that last year, the Disease Prevention and Control Center of Shenze County conducted tests and issued a report roughly titled "Investigation Report on Drinking Water in Key Villages Along the Zha River Basin." The report stated that two toxic substances were indeed found in the village’s water. When the reporter sought confirmation from the Disease Prevention and Control Center of Shenze County, the staff confirmed that such a report was indeed issued in 2009. As for its contents, the staff said they were not entirely clear and would need to wait until the leader returned for detailed information.
■ Investigation
Farmland Along the Banks Becomes Wasteland
Subsequently, under the guidance of Village Chief Li Jun of Tianjiazhuang Village and several villagers, the reporter investigated the conditions of some villages along the Zha River. Many villages' cornfields were located along the banks of the Zha River, and this time the breach of the Zha River affected more than just Tianjiazhuang Village.
According to villagers from Shiqiaotou Village, due to the breach of the Zha River dike, about 200 mu (approximately 33 acres) of cornfields were flooded, almost resulting in total crop failure, and large areas of economic forests were also affected. Chief Di of Jihe Village said: "The sewage from the Zha River hasn't been an issue for just one or two years; our farmland has been surrounded by this foul water every day, with yields getting worse each year." Standing on the river embankment of Jihe Village, the reporter saw a large area of barren land enclosed by earth mounds along the bank of the Zha River, almost devoid of any vegetation. Chief Di said: "This is our village's land, about 80 mu (approximately 13 acres). We used to grow crops and trees here, but whatever we planted died. The villagers lost a lot of money. Last year, we had just planted saplings when the Zha River breached its dike. The foul water flooded the area, killing all the trees, and this piece of land became completely barren."
Data provided by the Water Conservancy Bureau of Shenze County showed that just from the breach of the Zha River on August 20, a total of 744 mu (approximately 124 acres) of farmland belonging to 194 households in Zhao Ba Township and Liu Cun Township were flooded.
■ Reason
Sudden Over-Discharge of Sewage Upstream
On the afternoon of August 24, the reporter interviewed the Water Conservancy Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau of Shenze County.
At the Water Conservancy Bureau of Shenze County, it was learned that the Zha River flows through Zhao Ba, Liu Cun, and Bai Zhuang Townships in Shenze County, covering a total length of 22 kilometers within the county, mainly draining excess water from Wujixian County upstream, making it a drainage river.
In the "Explanation Regarding the Situation of Farmland Being Flooded by Sewage from the Old Zha River," the Water Conservancy Bureau of Shenze County mentioned two reasons for the flooding of farmland by sewage from the Zha River. First, the Luo Shang Gate in Wujixian County suddenly lifted the gate, discharging sewage beyond the river's capacity. Second, upstream discharge was not notified in advance to Shenze County, causing excessive inflow of sewage, leading to the flooding of large areas of farmland.
It was learned that the Water Conservancy Bureau had already organized personnel to block the overflow point in Shiqiaotou Village and urgently dredge downstream channels. Currently, the situation of sewage leakage has been controlled. To prevent another breach incident, the Water Conservancy Bureau has applied to higher authorities for strengthened supervision of the standard operation of the Luo Shang Gate in Wujixian County, strictly prohibiting upstream sewage from entering the old Zha River channel via the Luo Shang Gate.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Bureau of Shenze County stated that they had conducted on-site inspections of the Zha River and the Tianjiazhuang section. It was found that the sewage from the Zha River was discharged from upstream into Shenze County, with no sewage outlets in Shenze County itself—they are merely victims. However, they did not provide any answers regarding the handling of the overflowed sewage areas or compensation and pacification of the affected villagers.
Where does the sewage from the Zha River actually come from? What causes the sewage overflow? How will follow-up work for the 194 flooded households be carried out? Our newspaper will continue to pay attention.