#chinanews #chinanewstoday #threegorgesdam

As China’s heavy rains continue to cause severe damage to more than 24 provinces, the well-known Chinese hydrologist Wang Weiluo questioned the safety of the huge Three Gorges Dam, warning that it could collapse at any time. In southern China, regional rainstorms and mudslides that began on June 1 have uprooted more than 7,300 houses and affected nearly eight million people, the immediate economic loss is estimated at US$2.9 billion by local officials.

The nonstop downpours have also raised the Chinese public's concerns over the potential bursting of the world's biggest hydropower project. Despite government assurances that the dam is structurally sound, Wang has taken an opposing view and claimed that the facility is not as stable as many have been led to believe, reported New Talk.

Wang pointed out that the dam's design, construction, and quality inspection were all carried out by the same group of people and that the project was finished too quickly. He said that even Chinese Vice Minister of Water Resources Ye Jianchun confessed at press conference that water levels of at least 148 rivers in the country have risen above warning thresholds, which proves that the Three Gorges Dam has a limited effect on flood control.

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