China’s breakneck economic growth over the past two decades was bound to take a take a toll on China’s environment, especially in its water quality which has suffered severely in the last few years. The most notable victim has been China’s moist scenic water body (Ofcourse, until some time back) – the 900-square-mile Taihu Lake, in the east near Shanghai.

High concentrations of nitrogen in sewage (found mainly in detergents and fertilizers) when left untreated caused an overwhelming growth of blue-green algae to pollute the entire Taihu lake. This weed (often hailed as the next great biofuel resource) can also multiply enough to threaten water supplies when left to its own devices. The authorities were even forced to cut water supplies to 2.3 million residents of the nearby city of Wuxi in 2007.

Although five billion yuan was invested in pipes to prevent sewage from being dumped into the lake, the degradation of the water remains a major problem. Chinese authorities have now found a less expensive, but more effective solution.

Ten million algae-eating fish. Chinese officials plan on releasing green and silver carp into the Taihu as part of a massive clean-up effort. How does the carp manage to accomplish this without invading the water body itself? A silver carp could consume 50 kilogrammes of algae and other plankton while gaining only one kilogramme in weight.

Even though the 10 million fish will only clean up one-tenth of Taihu’s massive area, it’s still a huge step forward for one of China’s most scenic lakes.

Via : Physorg