Permanent Harness of Yellow River Needs 50 Years: Expert

Will Yellow River water become clear someday? A related expert has given it a positive answer. It will take China 50 years to bring this river under permanent control, he said.

The Yellow River is the largest sand-containing river in the world. It is estimated that over past decades, the average annual volume of sand flowing into the river weighs 1.6 billion tons, of which 400 million tons are deposited in the downstream riverbed, reaching 8-10 cm high annually, thus forming a terrifying "hanging river on earth".

China has stepped up efforts in the harness of the Yellow River since 1980 and, over the past nine years, the sand volume has reduced by 300 million tons annually.

It is reckoned that if the annual sand volume is reduced from 1600 million tons to 800 million, then we can declare success in this endeavor. However, it will take about 50 years to reach this goal.



People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/