Millions of tons of garbage and industrial waste could seriously
affect the water quality and operation of the
Three Gorges dam
project in China if clean-up measures are not taken
immediately, a Chinese environmental official has warned.
The world's biggest dam, which is under construction in the upper
reaches of the Yangtze River, is scheduled to be ready for water
storage in 2003. Garbage and waste left untreated along the river
will be submerged if not cleaned away.
"If the rubbish is left inside the reservoir, the pollution could
become worse and normal operation of the hydropower station will be
affected," said Liu Qifeng with the State Environmental Protection
Administration (
SEPA).
But the central government has decided to prevent this from
happening, he told a press conference Thursday.
The
State Council, China's cabinet, has approved a ten-year plan
focusing on water pollution control in the dam area and the upper
reaches of the Yangtze River.
By
investing about 40 billion yuan (US$4.8 billion), the central
government will help five provinces build water and garbage
treatment facilities, upgrade the pollution control facilities of
factories, and improve the environment.
By
2010, there will be 146 waste water disposal centers and 161
garbage treatment plants in cities and towns around the reservoir,
Liu said.
Paper mills, fertilizer plants, wine breweries, mines and other
heavy-polluters will be closed if they fail to meet the pollutant
emission standards set by the state, he said.
Fearing soil erosion may cause severe silting in the reservoir,
environmental protection authorities have urged local people to
plant trees on slope farmland which is vulnerable to erosion due to
the lack of vegetation.
The upper reaches of the Yangtze River will be widely afforested to
keep the river clean, Liu said.
A
group of key officials from the SEPA and other departments will
oversee the implementation of the plan.
The Three Gorges dam project was started in 1993 and will last
another eight years. When the dam begins storing water in 2003, a
permanent ship's lock and the first group of power generators will
become operational.
( November 30, 2001)