Probe International

Chinese auditors say they found no embezzlement or misappropriation of construction funds in the ongoing Three Gorges project; however, they did detect some problems and flaws in the project’s management.

Slightly higher construction costs on the Three Gorges scheme were among a minority of project weaknesses identified as being mainly due to the long build time, unclear rules and insufficiently strong internal controls, according to a report from China’s National Audit Office.

The latest 700MW turbine-generator at the Three Gorges project in China has just completed 72 hours of test runs, taking the total number of units in operation to 16.

China’s State Council has approved an additional 10 billion yuan (US$1.32 billion) in relocation money for the residents who move from the Three Gorges area, Xinhua news agency reported today.

This money will be added to the current 53.5 billion yuan of relocation fees, said the Three Gorges Project Construction Commission under the Cabinet. Up to 84 percent of the additional fees will be spent on residents in Chongqing Municipality, where most migrant residents are from.The remainder will be used for people in Hubei Province.

Floodwater releases from China’s Three Gorges dam has inundated the banks of Dongting Lake downstream, causing billions of rats to flee into surrounding fields, devouring 6,000 square miles of rice crop, according to the UK-based Telegraph.