New Delhi: Construction of Three Gorges Dam - over 2,000 metres long and almost 200 metres high - costing 25 billion dollar, will be finished in 2009. The Chinese government says it will generate 18 gigawatts of electricity.
But the dam is already in controversy.
Dai Qing, said, "The Three Gorges Dam is in an earthquake-prone area. It will trigger earthquakes when it starts to retain water. It has already caused, landslides."
The sheer weight of the 600 km lake is yet to be understood. But engineers say the dam is foolproof.
Deputy Chief Engineer of the Three Gorges Project Wang Xiaomao, said, "We are taking precautions similar to those taken in areas where earthquakes register up to 7 on the Richter scale. The Three Gorges Dam is very capable of resisting earthquakes"
Environmentalists have yet another concern. They say rising pollution levels will turn the lake into a cesspool.
The relocation package doesn't satisfy anyone either. One million people have already been displaced.
Director of Hydropower Complex Management Feng Zhengpeng said, "In general, we take a portion out of each watt of electricity to give the migrants as compensation. And we are going to raise the amount of compensation money in the near future".
The government plans to support the migrants for the next 20 years.
Critics say no amount of money can replace their communities and farmlands. In fact, they point out that the dream of cheap and abundant energy is an illusion.
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