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Chief Sanitation Doctor Invites Khabarovsk Population to Stockpile Water

Posted on: Friday, 25 November 2005, 21:00 CST

MOSCOW. Nov 25 (Interfax) - Russian Chief Sanitation Doctor Gennady Onishchenko has advised the residents of Khabarovsk to stockpile up to 40 liters of water per person for four days for the period before the Amur River is cleared of pollutants. He recommended that city authorities seek other sources of water supplies and use advanced means of purification.

"With such an overpopulated neighbor as China, other sources of water supplies for the city should be sought," he told Interfax on Friday.

The toxic chemicals that spilled into the tributary of the Amur following the explosion at a Chinese chemical plant will reach the Russian side on Sunday or Monday. "It will be then that we will learn the degree and nature of the pollution and the measures required to purify the water," he said.

Onishchenko said that the main task of sanitation authorities today is to protect cities and villages against the approaching polluted water.

"We are building up the necessary stockpile of drinking water in the calamity zone. Water should be delivered at the rate of 10 liters per person a day to Khabarovsk. That means a family of three will be needing 30 liters a day," he said.

"The chemicals will be flowing through Khabarovsk for three-four days, and the entire water supply system will be turned off, which means that an average family will have to store at least 90-120 liters of water," he said.

Onishchenko urged local authorities to pay attention to sufficient clean water supplies to rule out contacts with polluted water from the Amur by the staffs of pre-school children's institutions, schools, public catering and trade, as well as fishermen.

Source: Daily News Bulletin; Moscow - English

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