China's Three Gorges dam under threat from vast floating islands of rubbish

It is the world's biggest dam which promised to provide environmentally friendly energy to millions.

But China's Three Gorges superstructure is now under threat from vast floating islands of rubbish and debris which have been swept into the Yangtze River by torrential rain and flooding.

The debris has clogged a large swathe of the river and the locks of the hydroelectric dam - which cost $25billion to build and claimed more than 100 lives - are now at risk.

The crust of rubbish is jammed so thick in places that people can stand on it.

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The Three Gorges rubbish jam is not an isolated occurrence. Another island covering 15,000 square metres - more than 150,000 square feet  - had lodged under a bridge in the north-eastern city of Baishan in Jilin province and was blocking water flow.

Officials in Baishan are racing against time to clear the debris as they fear a fresh wave of flooding could bring down the bridge.

If the island is washed downstream, it could block floodgates at the Yunfeng dam, now operating at full capacity.

Emergency services were scrambling to clean up the waterway, near the border with North Korea, but fear it could take days.



via China's Three Gorges dam under threat from vast floating islands of rubbish | Mail Online.