THE FUTURE STILL DOESN'T WORK

Cracks in Three Gorges Dam to Be Fixed (LatelineNews: 2003-6-12)

In a rare admission of problems at the giant Three Gorges Dam in central China, officials said Thursday that cracks found in the dam could leak if not fixed.

The comments contrasted with government claims that the dam on the Yangtze river has been a success since its reservoir began to fill on June 1. The government says the water on Tuesday reached the depth necessary to allow ships to sail on the reservoir.

Inspectors have found about 80 cracks in the dam's surface, said Pan Jiazhong, head of the construction committee inspection group. He said that while they weren't a threat to safety, they could expand and cause leaking if not repaired.

"If water enters these cracks, there could be negative effects, so we are fixing them very carefully,'' Pan said at a news conference.

Chinese officials say the dam will control chronic flooding on the Yangtze and produce power needed by industry.

Critics say the dam is a waste of money and could worsen pollution by trapping sewage and industrial waste. They say an accident could cause a catastrophe in the densely populated area.

So China has mesmerized the world with artificially high economic growth levels, created by pumping money into public works projects of dubious merit, which don't even work, but we're still to take them seriously as a rising world power? Posted by Orrin Judd at June 15, 2003 6:07 AM