Chinese Authorities Admit Three Gorges Dam has Problems

  • 13 years ago
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After praising the Three Gorges Dam for years, the Chinese regime has admitted the world's biggest hydroelectric dam has caused big problems.

The State Council said on Wednesday there's an urgent need to address environmental problems, the wellbeing of relocated residents and the risk of geological disasters associated with the project. Located in China's Hubei Province, the 23-billion dollar project was launched in 1993 and took 17 years to build. Vast stretches of land have been flooded and 1.4 million people had to be relocated.

Critics have pointed out the added danger of geological disasters, like mudslides and landslides caused by the weight of such a huge body of water on its surroundings.

Pollution also flows from the reservoir downstream to the Yangtze River's densely populated area, threatening the quality of drinking water.

The Three Gorges Dam has 26 hydropower generators with six more to be installed next year.