The Three Gorges Dam has increased water discharge to maintain
normal shipping along China's longest river, the Yangtze, which is
suffering its worst drought in 50 years.
The discharge speed reached 5,500 cu m per second Thursday, 300
cu m more than Tuesday, when the dam started to alleviate the
effects of the drought, according to the China Three Gorges Project
Corporation (CTGPC), builder of the world's largest hydropower
project.
Lower rainfall on the river's upper reaches has reduced water
levels in the middle reaches by up to 2 m. The average water level
has decreased by 1.5 m.
In the past month, at least 26 cargo ships have been stranded in
the sections around Yichang, Wuhan and Jingzhou of Hubei Province,
and Jiujiang, Hukou of the neighboring Jiangxi Province, according
to the Yangtze River Maritime Administration.
By Thursday afternoon, water levels in the Yichang section, near
the start of the middle reaches, had gone up 0.5 m.
The discharge program is scheduled to last until Tuesday, when
the CTGPC will decide to carry on or reduce water discharge
volumes.
According to an order issued by the Yichang maritime bureau,
every cargo ship must undergo weight checks at eight harbors in the
city of Yichang and unload excess goods before continuing.
An average of 170 cargo ships use the route every day. More than
1,000 workers, 100 boats and 18 dredgers are digging out silt in
the river to maintain the route.
The Yangtze, which is 6,300 km long, experiences a dry season
between November and April. This is often followed by spring
flooding.
(Xinhua News Agency December 7, 2007)
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