GU Zhaodi, 60, had taken water for granted for years. In fact, no one in the beautiful lake city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province had bothered to spare a thought on water. But all that changed dramatically overnight last month when taps in the city ran dry. Due to a blue-green algae   outbreak in Taihu Lake, China's third largest freshwater lake and the source of drinking water for 4 million Wuxi residents ,water from the city's taps became dark and smelly. "I can't believe there is no water for drinking, let alone cooking and washing,"said Gu. The lake was blanketed with the algae, giving off a strong smell of rotting meat. A stone thrown into it took a long time to sink. Experts said that algae usually boom because of hot water and rich chemicals like phosphor in the water. "High temperature and a lack of rain in the past few months helped the growth of algae,"said Zhang Lijun, an official from the State Environment Protection Administration. "However, pollution from human activity should be most blamed for the disaster." Taihu Lake is surrounded by many small factories, which _ in the 1980s.Inthe 1990s,many foreign-funded  companies joined in. The industries prospered ,Wuxi has grown into one of the wealthiest cities in East China. But that came at the price of pollution. The lake was treated like a waste dump ,with factories emptying industrial waste and untreated sewage into it. Although, after the government's effort, life in the city has gone back to normal, the one-week crisis rang a bell for the government and local people."It's time to rebuild the beauty of nature, or our lives will be at risk,"said Gu. "A safe environment comes first. Economic growth will be nothing without fresh water to drink and clean air to breathe." said China Daily. What can we learn from the passage?
The one-week disaster has made the local people realize the importance of building a beautiful city. It is human activity rather than the algae that is to blame for the water pollution. Only when the environment is safe and friendly can man live a better and healthier life. Environment should be taken into consideration first if a city plans to develop its economic.