Chinese anger over ‘acid pollution’ images.
The images, taken by a drone, show a cluster of dark red and rust-coloured pits occupying a big patch of land in a village called Nanzhaofu in Hebei province.
Volunteers told Chinese media that similar polluted land could be found in other provinces.
‘I thought it was coincidence’ After the images were published on the NGO’s social media accounts last week there was an outburst of public anger.
"My aunt is from that county in Hebei, she died from cancer two years ago.
In Hebei, authorities blamed local people for the contamination, saying they had been illegally dumping acid waste for years.
But on social media, people are asking why, if the suspect has been arrested, nothing had changed and the land is still contaminated.
In its annual report this week, the environment ministry said water standards in some areas of northern China had declined since 2015.
Environment Minister Chen Jining said water samples found 36.3% of heavy polluting industries’ land and the surrounding soil did not meet government standards, according to a report by South China Morning Post.
Many have been asking whether it’s right for China to begin developing a new area if it can’t keep the existing one clean, and whether the necessary environmental protections really will be put in place.