Drought, landslide fears indicated in Three Gorges Dam delay

Officials have suspended plans to raise the water level behind the Three Gorges Dam to full capacity this month due to drought and concerns about landslides, AP reported. Operators had increased water storage starting on September 15, and expected to reach the maximum water level of 175 meters in early November, but the level stopped at 171 meters on November 2. "Under the current conditions, less water is coming from the upper reaches and more water is needed to be released to the lower reaches to ease the drought situation. So it’s difficult to reach that level," an official said. A recent report in Caijing magazine raised the concern about increasing flood risks as the reservoir behind the dam reached full capacity. However, a Three Gorges spokesman dismissed speculation that fears of landslides had contributed to the delay.