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Rain induced to clear algae

— PHOTO: AFP

THICK SLICK: A dead fish floats on the once scenic Taihu lake, hit by an outbreak of blue-green algae, and has contaminated the drinking supplies of Wuxi, a city of five million people, in China's Jiangsu province on Thursday.

NANJING: Chinese experts have artificially induced rainfall to dilute a lake that provides drinking water to millions of people in eastern China, but was polluted by blue-green algae.

Thirty-nine rockets containing silver iodide were fired at eight different sites surrounding Taihu lake on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, said a spokesman for Jiangsu Provincial Meteorological Station.

The operation induced moderate rain for most areas around the lake and even heavy rain for some parts, the spokesman said.

Results from 43 monitoring stations showed that the rainfall exceeded 20 mm.

``Continuous high temperatures and lack of rainfall since this spring are mainly to blame for the outbreak of the blue-green algae bloom,'' the spokesman said.

The average temperature in the Taihu lake region was 17.1 degrees Celsius in the first five months, 0.7 degrees higher than previous years, or the highest since 1955.

Less rain adds to problem

In addition, some areas around the lake reported less rain this year and Wuxi city, which receives its drinking water from the lake, received 30 per cent less precipitation than average.

The spokesman said local meteorological authorities were closely monitoring weather changes and once conditions allowed, they would attempt to induce more rain. Blue-green algae is a form of aquatic plant that occurs naturally in rivers, lakes, damp soil, tree trunks, hot springs and snow.

``Bloom'' is the common term used to describe an increase in the number of algal cells to a point where they discolour the water, form scum, produce unpleasant tastes and odours, affect shellfish and fish populations or otherwise create pollution and seriously affect water quality.

Almost two million people in Wuxi, an economically dynamic city128 km northwest of Shanghai, have been affected by the water pollution. — Xinhua

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