Water gushing out from one of the reservoirs along the Yellow River during a recent silt-clearing operation. Each year, the river bed rises as mud and sand deposits build up in the many dams, slowing the water flow in the lower reaches. -- PHOTO: REUTERSBEIJING: Several dams on tributaries of China's Yellow River are near collapse - shortly after they were built - highlighting risks that parts of China's hastily built infrastructure may not be safe.
At least five newly built dams in Huan county, in Gansu province in arid north-east China, are 'in very fragile condition', according to a report by the China Youth Daily.
One dam in Huan county, 80m long and 20m wide, developed a breach more than 10m wide last year, just two years after it was completed.
The report blamed improper construction and the embezzlement of funds.
'There are many construction problems,' the daily cited local villagers as saying, when asked why many dams collapsed just one or two years after being built.
An official at the county's water protection bureau, who refused to be named, told Agence France-Presse that the matter was being investigated by the government, but refused to provide more details.
A devastating earthquake in Sichuan province last year, which affected an area near a river clogged with dams, had turned the spotlight on the risks posed by China's thousands of dams.
Improper construction procedures, shoddy materials and diversion of funds by government departments have all been cited as factors contributing to fragile dams.
And as the flood season approaches in the next three months, dam safety will come under heavy pressure, Mr Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, was cited by China Daily as saying last month.
Inspections show many dams are not in good condition, Mr Chen added.
The problem can be potentially devastating along the Yellow River, where hundreds of dams dot its 5,464km meander through nine provinces across China.
The embankments are meant to curb the river's notorious soil erosion, especially along its middle and upper reaches. The average amount of mud and sand washed into the river every year reaches 1.6billion tonnes.
Mr Chen said 59 dams nationwide were breached between 1999 and 2008, 20 caused by quality defects and the rest by torrential rains,
And more than 40 per cent of reservoirs in China - or 37,000 - are in potential danger of overflowing.
Also, about 3,640 dams are currently being reinforced, and a further 7,600 are in need of immediate attention.
One of the worst dam accidents occurred in Henan province in 1975, when a collapse at one dam triggered a domino effect, causing about 26,000 people to drown. Over 100,000 more may have died in the subsequent famine and disease outbreaks.
REUTERS, CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
No comments:
Post a Comment