The Ministry of Environmental Protection in China has reported that the total amount of sulphur dioxide discharged in 2007 has decreased by more than four percent compared with last year.

Several other major pollutants have also dropped in the past year.

This drop, for the first time in several years, points to a turn around in the comprehensive environmental picture.

But an article from China Daily says the report hardly inspires optimism even after the long-anticipated fall in the key pollution indices last year.

The paper says pollution in China's major waterways including the Yangtze, Yellow and Huaihe Rivers is still quite serious.

Even more worrisome, the report revealed deteriorating biology as well as environmental pollution in the rural areas.

The paper suggests that policymakers and the environmental watchdog lay out a more effective blueprint for environmental protection.

For instance, particular attention should be paid to the current trend of moving polluting firms from the cities to the rural areas or from the developed regions to the underdeveloped regions.