Power stations ordered to plug safety gaps

BEIJING - Vice-Minister of Water Resources Hu Siyi ordered local governments to guarantee the safety of every hydropower station in China before the flood season begins in 2011.

Speaking at a conference on national water resources in Beijing on Tuesday, Hu said a long-term mechanism is needed to regulate the ongoing construction, supervision and management of hydropower stations, especially in rural areas.

The Ministry of Water Resources inspected and carried out repairs on 5,200 hydropower stations around the country in a safety campaign over the past seven years. Most of them are small and medium-sized stations in rural areas.