Laos approves Xayaboury dam construction on Mekong River
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Vientiane - The Lao government has approved the construction of the 3.5-billion-dollar Xayaboury dam on the Mekong River despite environmental objections, a senior official said Monday.
"We will have a ground-breaking ceremony in Xayaboury on Wednesday," said Viraphonh Viravong, deputy minister of Energy and Mines.
The hydroelectric project will be the first run-of-river dam to be built on the lower Mekong. Four dams have already been built on the upper Mekong in China.
The project has been criticised by environmentalists and Laos'South-east Asian neighbours for its possible impact on the flow of sediments downstream and fish migration.//DPA
