Dongping County

Signs of Disaster Show at The Completion of River Projects

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• published: 20 Nov 2013
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Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/cnforbiddennews Like us on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/chinaforbiddennews The countdown for the start of China's South to North water diversion project is underway. The project will take 50 years to complete, and it together with it's twin, the Three Gorges Dam, will cost an estimated 500 billion yuan ($82 billion). Since the beginning of this project, experts have worried and warned against the possible disasters it could bring. Signs have started to show, and the disasters are believed to continue to worsen and finally become unsolvable. Water conservancy expert Wang Weiluo says, "This water diversion project is more detrimental than the Three Gorges Dam." The South to North water diversion project, by definition, transfers water from the Yangtze River to China's north via eastern, western, and central routes. The idea came a remark made by Mao Zedong in 1952, "Southern water is plentiful, northern water scarce. If at all possible, borrowing some water would be good." Ever since, intense debates have accompanied the project. Opponents argue that these massive dam projects are wreaking havoc on river systems across China, from water pollution, to transmission of parasitic diseases, soil salinization, river ecosystem imbalance, devastating and even extinction of species. Many of these adverse effects have gradually emerged since the beginning of the project. Weng Lida, former Yangtze River Water Resources Protection Bureau director: "Water diversion will certainly affect both the Yangtze River and the diversion areas. The diversion will evaporate the Yangtze River and cause water reduction. The central route will also impact the downstream Han River (a tributary of the Yangtze River)." Fan Xiao, engineer at the Regional Geological and Mineral Bureau of Sichuan Province: "Water pollution is the main issue for the eastern route which goes through the Huai basin, the most seriously polluted reservoir in China. This water cannot be used at all." Official documents show that both eastern and central routes pass many cancer prone areas. Many more cancer villages also emerged along with the constructions of the dams. On June 2 this year, a test of the water diversion project was conducted at Bali station of Dongping county, Shandong. As the polluted water was poured into the Dongping Lake, lake fish completely died out and local fishermen dropped to their knees crying. Such toxic water will be going to Beijing and Tianjin. Hong Kong-based Apple Daily reports that the project could turn into the world's biggest 'cancer project'. Experts warn that earthquakes and other natural disasters induced by these massive dams can also seriously endanger human life in the areas near the rivers. Scientists Liu Sumei, Xu Lihua and Pradeep Talwani said in a Geophysical Journal International article that raising the Danjiangkou Reservoir's water level, located in the centre of the route, could trigger earthquakes above magnitude 4. Fan Xiao: "Although these dams have not formally started operation, the relocation problem has become a major issue. It is destroying the standard of living for people in the area. These dams are also built around the high risk seismic zones, posing huge dangers to construction and the security of these dams." The dams have forced an estimated 340,000 people to migrate and submerged hundreds of thousands of acres of farmlands. Those landless peasants, receiving poor compensation, have since lived in poverty. A migrant from Xichuan County, Henan grieved online, saying that they've lost their land and homes due to relocation. Given about 60 yuan ($10) in annual compensation per person, they have since lived in shabby temporary housing without food and water. The cost to divert water from southern China to Beijing is estimated at 10 yuan ($1.64) per ton, and desalination costs are currently about 4 yuan ($0.66) per ton. So why does the Communist regime insist on the project despite many oppositions? Fan Xiao: "It is driven by politics and interests, of course, the interests of those who are in power. For instance, those who are in charge of the project and the companies under the Ministry of Water Resources will profit. Once it's approved, the state investment and loans will follow." As for the long-term effects of the water diversion project, Fan Xiao says that the Communist regime doesn't care at all. Many experts have indicated that the crisis of water resources in China can be reduced through conserving water, treating pollution, and recycling water. This south to north water diversion project is criticized as a mistake at the expense of all. It is not only ineffective but also detrimental to the water reservoir of the whole country. 《神韵》2013世界巡演新亮点 http://www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org/