China claims not to drain the Mekong

Chinese officials say hydroelectric dams in the world's most populous country are not the cause of the Mekong's water level to hit a record low.

River level is at a record low for 30 years.Photo: dredgingtoday.com.

China Daily said, International Commissioner of China Jia Jiasheng big dams - said the dams in the country do not prevent the flow from the upper Mekong River downstream.

Mr. Jia's statement was made amid Thailand's upcoming summit to discuss the Mekong management measures in April. The river's water exhaustion will be the main theme in the association. meeting.

According to AFP, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman and Deputy Minister of Chinese Water Resources also confirmed that the country is not responsible for the exhaustion of the Mekong.

The Mekong River is at its lowest level in 30 years and Thai environmental activists accuse Chinese dams upstream of the Mekong from blocking the flow of water downstream - where life is more 60 million people depend on the river.

Jia announced that China has 8 hydropower dams that have been or are about to be completed on the Mekong River. He confirmed that these dams discharge water during the dry season and retain water during the rainy season to reduce the risk of flooding.

AFP said that China's large hydroelectric dam projects have long been a controversial topic. Critics say those dams often cause serious environmental problems and hardly help prevent flooding, while millions of people have to leave home to yield land for a dam project.