Dianchi, a famous fresh water lake on a high plateau in southwest China's Yunnan Province, is heavily polluted and experts and officials warn the situation is worsening.

According to a report released by the Provincial Bureau of Environmental Protection, the lake's water quality has been deteriorating over the past two years.

Bureau Director Li Xianwu attributed the worsening situation to huge domestic waste water drained into this lake.

He warned that the water condition would further decline if scientific and effective measures are not taken soon.

A big alarm bell is that 4 billion yuan (US$480 million) the central and local governments earmarked between 2000 and last year to deal with the pollution managed only to slow down the rate of deterioration, according to experts.

Covering an area of 31,200 hectares, the Dianchi Lake near Kunming, the province's capital, serves as the major water source for the city's industrial and agricultural use.

Also, it plays a key role in balancing Kunming's environment.

Environmental experts called last week for scientific research and planning to prevent the water condition from deteriorating.

Water in the lake has turned murky due to the industrial and domestic waste discharged into it over the past two decades.

According to Li, domestic waste water keeps flowing into it.

"Other factors that contribute to the worsening of the pollution are the ever-enlarging population in Kunming and the shortage of clear water resources," Li told China Daily.

In regard to water treatment, the director said it should focus on preventing pollution and finding other water resources so that the city's population will not depend on the lake so heavily for usage.

China News Service reported that environmental professionals are urging scientific surveys to determine how many people can be supported by Dianchi and its surrounding area.

(China Daily June 7, 2004)