THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Dams could spark quakes, warns expert

Dams could spark quakes, warns expert

If hydropower dams are built along the Thanlwin River (Salween), it will increase the possibility of earthquakes and if one broke, others downstream could give away, warns geologist Saw Moe Myint.

The so-called Kyaukkyan fault lies underneath the upper part of the Thanlyin and the dams would mean large bodies of water pushed on the fault and maybe penetrate the rocks. Water would act as a lubricant for earthquakes, said the expert.
“If water is stored, the river’s banks may slide and a dam could break. This has happened in the US before. It can cause a domino effect if other dams are built down river. There are the Ywathit and Hatgyi dams lower down,” said Saw Moe Myint, who is also a mining engineer.
The Save the Salween Network, formed by 122 civil associations, announced on July 7 that it would oppose the dam projects.
The TaSang dam on the upper Thanlyin will be larger than Singapore and will flood waterfalls and other natural beauty spots.
Moreover, 90 per cent of the 7,000 megawatt generated by the dam will be sent to Thailand and China with the Thais planning a water pipeline from Myanmar.
The Thanlyin Conservation Network said residents gained no benefits from the projects and claimed the military was using the dams to extend its grip into the dam areas.
It says protests were ignored.
The Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) from Australia has been hired to carry out environmental- and social-impact assessments and protests have been held at its public meetings.
Many ethnic minorities that rely on the Thanlyin will lose their source of living and there are fears that the Yintalei tribe, which has very few members, might disappear.
There are also fears about the prevalence of armed ethnic groups along the river, leading to concern that the influx of soldiers could spark further conflict.

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