Urban pollution worsening

Pollution in urban China is worsening despite government efforts to reduce it, the State Environmental Protection Administration said in a new report, AFP reported. Only 38% of 585 cities surveyed recently registered air quality that met national health standards, compared to 45% in a 2005 study. Water judged to be healthy also dropped by 7.24%. "The environment situation (sic) in the country's cities remains serious," the report said. Improvement was noted in urban sewage treatment, which rose to 42% from 23% and proper garbage disposal, up 60% from 20%. The administration's "black list" of cities with severe air pollution also grew shorter by four names, to 39 in total.