China will launch an investigation on soil erosion in the Three
Gorges Project, according to the country's water resources
officials.
The Water Resources Ministry has decided to conduct the
investigation to aid in developing a feasible soil erosion control
plan in the construction of the Three Gorges Project, said Xiong
Tie, Deputy Director of the Yangtze River Water Resources
Committee.
The Three Gorges Project, which was undertaken in 1993 and is
expected to be completed in 2009, is the largest water control and
power project in the world. The reservoir will cover a stretch of
58,000 square kilometers, spanning 21 cities and counties in
central China's Hubei province and Chongqing municipality in the
country's southwest.
The construction of the dam and the relocation of people and
industries will inevitably bring about soil erosion, Xiong
said.
Officials said the investigation will aim to help prevent serious
soil erosion during construction, thus minimizing the negative
consequences from erosion on project safety and quality and
preventing potential environmental damage.
The investigation will focus on the vegetation already destroyed by
the construction, along with the subsequent soil erosion. The
investigation team will also work to trace the evolution and
patterns of soil erosion in the construction project and search for
ways to prevent further erosion.
(Xinhua News
Agency August 27, 2002)
