German industry at risk as Rhine falls, lobby group warns

The Rhine in Dusseldorf (Federico Gambarini/dpa/AP)

Factories may have to throttle production or halt it completely because plunging water levels on the Rhine River are making it harder to transport cargo, Germany’s main industry lobby group warned on Tuesday.

Water levels on the Rhine at Emmerich, near the Dutch border, dropped by a further four centimetres (1.6 inches) in 24 hours, hitting zero on the depth gauge.