None for the plunge
The proposed Three Gorges dam in China might just run into rough weather. The US Export-Import Bank is yet to take a decision on whether to lend the money required for the Chinese dam. The Three Gorges is supposedly the largest public undertaking in the world ever since the Great Wall of China was built.
Recent reports say that the White House has signalled a 'no' to the dole, citing a plethora of reasons -environmental, human rights related and economic reasons being some adequate ones.
But China wants to put an end to the periodic flooding by the Yangtze Kiang river which regularly wreaks havoc downstream the proposed damsite; besides, the government wants to power its economy by going for a cleaner power option -hydroelectricity. The dam is supposed to take 20 years and us $17 billion to build by spurring relocation of 1.3 million people. A 643.60-km long reservoir will also be created by the dam. All this is supposed to 'remake' the environment of central China.
The American assessment is that the Three Gorges dam would -apart from generic risks like deforestation, loss of arable land, upstream siltation and loss of the much-needed downstream siltation -pose seismic hazards, threaten endangered species like the Yangtze dolphin and the giant panda, and inundate many archaeological sites.
The World Bank and many multilateral aid agencies have shunned the project and other export banks might also follow the example. The us government would have displayed more confidence in the project had China held a proper debate on the dam's pros and cons. Incidentally, the main opponent of the project, journalist Dai Qing. was thrown in jail by the government to make sure that the people's voice is muffled well. In this context, the us does not seem to have much faith in the project's goods.