Beijing approved a comprehensive plan yesterday to cope with enormous challenges that have arisen from the controversial Three Gorges Dam, amid widespread concerns over its unfolding environmental and social impacts.
The long-expected plan, which will be implemented over the next decade, was adopted at a State Council meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao .
In a brief statement issued by Xinhua, the government said it still faces an uphill battle in dealing with the negative effects of the world's largest dam, considered by many critics to be the mainland's biggest white elephant.
In a rare admission, it also said the government had been warned about many of the grave challenges faced by building the dam, long before its construction, but failed to find solutions over the years, Xinhua said.
'Some of the issues had been predicted during the design and feasibility studies but have had to be dealt with during its operation, while others were spotted during the construction but have yet to be tackled effectively due to limitations,' the statement said.
However, the government put on a brave face, defending the project as necessary for flood control and power generation. Beijing also vowed that it was capable of repairing geological hazards, of cleaning up pollution, of completing the resettlement of 1.4 million people and of addressing a wide range of other urgent issues.
'While the dam project has provided comprehensive benefits, pressing issues involving the smooth relocation and well-being of residents, ecological protection and geological disaster prevention must be tackled urgently, along with [the dam's] impact on navigation, irrigation and water supplies along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,' it said.
