Construction of 24,000 small HPPs on Yangtze River led to drainage of 333 river tributaries

Beijing. June 27. Silkroadnews - More than 24,000 small hydroelectric power plants with installed capacity of less than 50,000 kilowatts built along the economic zone of the Yangtze River in 10 provinces have drained 333 tributaries that could cause deadly damage to the ecosystem, Global Times writes.
Reportedly China Central Television (CCTV) showed a story about small HPPs located close together along 29-kilometer-long the Ledong river in Ganzhou county, Jiangxi Province, Eastern China. The distance between two hydropower facilities is sometimes less than 100 meters.
In turn, the National Audit Office in its report said about the disorganized development, which turned to be a subject of concern for the experts.
One hundred and twenty-four species of fish living in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and its tributaries have suffered from numerous power plants, many species of river inhabitants have died out, Cao Wenxuan, 84, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), said.
Small hydro power plants have rapidly been built for 10 years since 2003, when China’s demand for electricity grew because of faster development, the agency quoted Tang Qiuhong, a CAS researcher fellow, saying.
Tang offered to conduct a scientific assessment of power plants, make the necessary changes and dismantle those that cannot meet environmental requirements.
The document issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council specifies the goals of pollution prevention and environmental protection, which the country expects to achieve by 2020 and in subsequent years.