Super-dam runs short of water to relieve drought
By Yang Jian |
May 28, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
The Three Gorges Dam will have no water to release to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River by June 10 to ease the worst drought in 50 years in the areas, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
The drought that has plagued part of China's central and eastern regions for months is expected to continue and even worsen as no rain but high temperatures up to 36 degrees Celsius are forecast for the areas, according to the national meteorological center.
The world's largest dam will soon run out water in its reservoir after continuous discharges to relieve the drought that has plagued the areas for months, Xinhua said.
The dam near Chongqing has discharged about 1.2 billion cubic meters of water over the past week and water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the river have risen slightly, but experts say the Three Gorges Dam reservoir is too small to end the drought.
The reservoir water level has dropped by 2 meters since May 20, with only 20 percent of its water left, the report said.
Zheng Shouren, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and one of the designers of the Three Gorges hydropower project, said the dam was not designed to relieve drought but built to generate electricity, control flooding and adjust water levels for navigation.
About 6.2 million hectares of farmland across the country has been affected by the drought while more than 5 million people and 3.4 million livestock are suffering shortages of drinking water, the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said yesterday.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs and Ministry of Finance have allocated 55 million yuan (US$8.48 million) for people in drought-affected areas.
Five provinces in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River - Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu - were the worst-hit, said Zhang Xu, deputy director of the office.
In Hubei, villagers have been building dams and drawing water from the drying Honghu Lake, an official in the province's Honghu City said yesterday.
The seventh-largest freshwater lake in China had shrunk to 20 percent of its original size. An official with the Honghu Lake wetland protection bureau said the lake would need at least 10 years to recover its ecological environment.
The Hubei Meteorological Bureau yesterday issued the first drought alert in the province for the week to come.
In Jiangxi, grass and weeds can be seen growing on large areas of the Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. The grass had grown to over 30 centimeters high and bulls could be seen grazing on it.
"We launched many dragon boat races in the lake at this time in previous years, but now the lake has become grassland," said a villager surnamed Qiu.
In Hunan, the Jiangya Hydropower Station, a main power station in the province, will only be able to operate for three days as the reservoir at the station will soon dry up, said Wang Jun, deputy director of the station.
Some towns in mountainous areas of the province have begun to use fire trucks to provide water to local elementary schools.
Record-low water levels are also creating water shortages for both rural and urban areas in eastern China.
In Xuyi County of Jiangsu Province, the water supply to local households is being strictly controlled to six hours per day.
Water traffic and rice crops would be affected in the county if there is no rain soon, said Li Guangming, director of the information office of the Xuyi County.
The drought has also contributed to rising food prices.
Production of the county's famous crayfish has decreased by half while the price doubled. The price of tea has also increased by about 30 percent.
In Anhui Province, the water level of Chaohu Lake, the country's fourth largest freshwater lake, barely reached 12.14 meters, which is nearing what is referred to as the "dead level."
The drought that has plagued part of China's central and eastern regions for months is expected to continue and even worsen as no rain but high temperatures up to 36 degrees Celsius are forecast for the areas, according to the national meteorological center.
The world's largest dam will soon run out water in its reservoir after continuous discharges to relieve the drought that has plagued the areas for months, Xinhua said.
The dam near Chongqing has discharged about 1.2 billion cubic meters of water over the past week and water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the river have risen slightly, but experts say the Three Gorges Dam reservoir is too small to end the drought.
The reservoir water level has dropped by 2 meters since May 20, with only 20 percent of its water left, the report said.
Zheng Shouren, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and one of the designers of the Three Gorges hydropower project, said the dam was not designed to relieve drought but built to generate electricity, control flooding and adjust water levels for navigation.
About 6.2 million hectares of farmland across the country has been affected by the drought while more than 5 million people and 3.4 million livestock are suffering shortages of drinking water, the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said yesterday.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs and Ministry of Finance have allocated 55 million yuan (US$8.48 million) for people in drought-affected areas.
Five provinces in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River - Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu - were the worst-hit, said Zhang Xu, deputy director of the office.
In Hubei, villagers have been building dams and drawing water from the drying Honghu Lake, an official in the province's Honghu City said yesterday.
The seventh-largest freshwater lake in China had shrunk to 20 percent of its original size. An official with the Honghu Lake wetland protection bureau said the lake would need at least 10 years to recover its ecological environment.
The Hubei Meteorological Bureau yesterday issued the first drought alert in the province for the week to come.
In Jiangxi, grass and weeds can be seen growing on large areas of the Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. The grass had grown to over 30 centimeters high and bulls could be seen grazing on it.
"We launched many dragon boat races in the lake at this time in previous years, but now the lake has become grassland," said a villager surnamed Qiu.
In Hunan, the Jiangya Hydropower Station, a main power station in the province, will only be able to operate for three days as the reservoir at the station will soon dry up, said Wang Jun, deputy director of the station.
Some towns in mountainous areas of the province have begun to use fire trucks to provide water to local elementary schools.
Record-low water levels are also creating water shortages for both rural and urban areas in eastern China.
In Xuyi County of Jiangsu Province, the water supply to local households is being strictly controlled to six hours per day.
Water traffic and rice crops would be affected in the county if there is no rain soon, said Li Guangming, director of the information office of the Xuyi County.
The drought has also contributed to rising food prices.
Production of the county's famous crayfish has decreased by half while the price doubled. The price of tea has also increased by about 30 percent.
In Anhui Province, the water level of Chaohu Lake, the country's fourth largest freshwater lake, barely reached 12.14 meters, which is nearing what is referred to as the "dead level."
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