Three Gorges Probe
November 8, 2000

Oct. 26, 2000 – Hong Kong’s Mingpao newspaper reports that Chinese Ministry of Water Resources official, Li Linsheng, strongly denies a Sunday Telegraph report claiming that China is planning nuclear blasts to build a massive hydroelectricity project and water diversion scheme in Tibet. Mr. Li said the government is working on a proposal to transport water from the Yangtze River to North China – because of severe water shortages in the region – but have no plans to divert Tibet water to arid areas in the North, let alone blast holes through the Himalayas using nuclear explosions for this massive project. Mr. Li stressed that China would never risk such an undertaking for a project that could seriously damage the environment. According to the Telegraph report, the Chinese government is planning to use nuclear materials to blast a 10-mile tunnel through the Himalayas for a 38-million kilowatt power station in Muotuo County on Tibet’s Yarlung Zangbo River, a project that would be twice the size of Three Gorges dam.

Related news story: China planning nuclear blasts to build giant hydro project

Three Gorges Probe welcomes submissions. However, it is not a forum for political debate. Rather, Three Gorges Probe is dedicated to covering the scientific, technical, economic, social, and environmental ramifications of completing the Three Gorges Project, as well as the alternatives to the dam.

Publisher: Patricia Adams
Executive Editor: Mu Lan
Assistant Editor: Lisa Peryman
ISSN 1481-0913