Creek work halted at China’s Erhai Lake in win for environmentalists

Water quality improvement project included lining five creeks flowing into beauty spot with cement

Local authorities have suspended the project and promised to make a revised plan open to the public

Reading Time:3 minutes

A boy sits beside one of the creeks that was turned into a construction site as part of a project to improve water quality. Photo: Handout

Published: 11:53am, 6 Jun 2020Updated: 10:36pm, 6 Jun 2020

A controversial project aimed at improving the water quality of Erhai Lake in southwest China has been put on hold following an outcry from environmentalists.

The 340 million yuan (US$47.7 million) project to line five creeks that flow into the lake in Dali, Yunnan province, with cement horrified local environment groups. Bulldozers went on site in April to take advantage of the dry season but work was suspended by the end of that month after criticism on Chinese social media.

The Dali Tourism Resort Management Committee, which is running the project, said on Weibo it was soliciting public opinion and would make a revised plan open to the public. No explanation of the environmental rationale for lining the creeks with cement was provided.

The protection of the lake has been high on the local government’s agenda since Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected the region in 2015 and urged local officials to clean it up.

Bulldozers at Baihe Creek in April. Photo: Handout

Erhai Lake and neighbouring Cang Mountain – where the creeks originate – are signature tourism sites and a popular destination for travellers in China. Water quality in the five creeks – named Baihe, Mocan, Qingbi, Zhonghe and Tao – has been rated as low as Grade Five, the worst category in the country’s water assessment standard.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x