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Sacred lake dam project cancelled
16 November 2006
(ICT) A controversial dam project on a sacred lake in eastern Tibet has been
scrapped by the Chinese authorities following concerns expressed by local
Tibetans and Chinese environmentalists. The official Sichuan Daily newspaper
reported on 08 November that the Ganzi prefecture's Party Committee and the
government in Sichuan province had decided to cancel the Megoe Tso project in
favour of tourism development. The Ganzi prefecture's governor, Yao Si
Dan, was
quoted in the newspaper as saying: "Although hydropower is clean energy,
we are
strongly against the impacts of this development on the environment". The
lake,
Megoe Tso, is surrounded by pristine glacial waters, hot springs, and
primeval
forests, all of which sustain more than 1,000 species of rare tropical plants
and 2,000 varieties of animals and birds. Tourists, botanists,
photographers and
spiritual pilgrims from around the world visit the area every year and the
number of interested people is likely to increase if the area is kept in its
pristine condition.
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