preface
In the field of engineering construction, China's Three Gorges Dam is undoubtedly a monument, it is not only the world's largest water conservancy project, but also the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Chinese nation. In the face of such brilliant achievements, India could not hold back.
They want to build their own "Three Gorges Dam" and smash 4 billion yuan to demonstrate the country's strength.
But the end result turned out to be a joke, and on the night of the inauguration, the staff discovered that the dam had leaked, and within a few days it collapsed. What is the gap between this tofu slag dam and the Three Gorges Dam?
The Three Gorges Miracle of China
To understand India's ambitions, we first need to look back at the saga of China's Three Gorges Dam. This ambitious project was not accomplished overnight, but took nearly a century of conception, planning and construction.
As early as the end of World War I, Sun Yat-sen proposed the idea of building a dam on the Yangtze River. This idea is like a seed, buried deep in the hearts of Chinese. In the decades that followed, several national leaders showed great interest in the project.
However, due to various reasons, this dream has never been realized.
It was not until 1985 that Jiang Zemin, then mayor of Shanghai, formally proposed the construction of the Three Gorges Dam at a meeting of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. This move is like a stone stirring up a thousand waves, triggering a heated discussion across the country. After careful consideration and repeated arguments, in 1992 the National People's Congress (NPC) overwhelmingly passed the resolution on the Three Gorges Project.
In 1993, the Three Gorges Project officially began. This is a huge project, with a total investment of 95.4 billion yuan. Tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes where they had lived for generations in order to build the dam.
The project lasted 17 years, during which numerous difficulties and challenges were overcome. In 2009, the Three Gorges Dam was finally completed, making it the world's largest water conservancy project. Not only can it prevent floods, generate electricity, and improve shipping conditions, but it has also become a symbol of China's engineering prowess.
Seeing China's achievements, a raging fire ignited in the hearts of India. They thought, if China can do it, why can't we? So, they began their own "Three Gorges Dream".
Ambitious India version of "Three Gorges"
In 2017, India decided to build a dam on the Ganges called Pagelpur. The project has been hailed as "India's version of the Three Gorges Dam", and the India government has high hopes for it.
Through this project, they hope to improve water management, increase power generation and showcase India's engineering prowess to the world.
For this ambitious goal, the India government has invested 4 billion yuan, equivalent to about 4% of the investment in the Three Gorges Dam. Although the scale of investment is relatively small, it is already a significant amount for India.
The project lasted for more than ten years, and it was full of hardships and twists and turns. Workers worked day and night, and engineers racked their brains to solve various technical problems. The whole country is watching the progress of this project in the hope that it will become a new milestone in India's industrialization.
Finally, in 2017, the completion of the Pagelpur Dam was announced. The India government held a grand inauguration ceremony with a large number of dignitaries and media in attendance. Amid cheers, the engineers prepare to open the sluice gates to release water and demonstrate the power of the dam.
However, fate tricked people. Just 4 seconds after the gate opened, an incredible scene happened: the dam suddenly began to crack, and then the entire dam collapsed! There was chaos at the scene, and people fled in panic.
The collapse of the dam caused a large amount of water to rush downstream, flooding villages and farmland along the coast. Fortunately, due to the early evacuation, there were no major casualties, but the economic losses were huge.
The results of the investigation were shocking: it turned out that the inside of the dam was actually made of soil! This is a complete violation of the basic principles of dam construction and is simply a joke on people's lives.
The incident caused an uproar inside and outside India. People are asking: why such a low-level error? Who is to blame? What is the level of engineering in India?
42 years of waiting, 22 hours of collapse
If the failure of the Pagarpur dam can be seen as an accident, the dam collapse in Jharkhand has to be thought about.
The construction of the dam began in 1977 and lasted 42 years. Why does it take so long? It is said that the project has been plagued by a shortage of funds and technical difficulties.
However, the India government has not given up, believing that this project can change the face of Jharkhand.
Finally, on August 28, 2019, the dam was inaugurated at a cost of 22 billion rubles.
The Chief Minister of Jharkhand was personally present and said with pride in his speech, "This dam will be the pride of our state and it will bring prosperity and development to us. "
However, fate played a joke again. On the evening of the inauguration, crews discovered a leak in the dam. At first, they thought it was just a minor issue that could be fixed quickly. But the situation deteriorated rapidly, and the leak became more and more serious.
Engineers rushed to repair it overnight, but with little success. The next morning, the situation was completely out of control. Just 22 hours after the inauguration, the entire dam collapsed!
The collapse of the dam triggered a catastrophe. Nearby villages and farmland were flooded, and many people lost their homes. Fortunately, due to the early warning, most of the villagers evacuated in time and avoided heavy casualties.
In the face of this disaster, the official explanation given by India is laughable: they claim that the collapse of the dam was caused by rats burrowing! This explanation immediately sparked public ridicule and outrage.
Could it be that a dam that cost 22 billion rubles and was built for 42 years could be defeated by a few rats?
These two incidents have dealt a heavy blow to India. They have not only caused huge economic losses, but also seriously damaged India's international image. One has to ask: Is India really ready to take on the challenge of big projects?
epilogue
Why do India's dam projects fail so often, while China's Three Gorges Dam has been built and played a huge role? Is it a gap in technical level, or a lack of management ability?
The success of China's Three Gorges Dam reflects China's long-term vision for the country's national development strategy. From the conception of Sun Yat-sen, to the continuous attention of several generations of leaders after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and then to the final implementation, the whole process spanned nearly a century.
This continuity and consistency ensures that the project can be completed despite all difficulties.
At the same time, the Chinese government pays attention to balancing the interests of all parties in the implementation of the project. Although tens of thousands of people had to be relocated due to the construction of the project, the government took corresponding compensation measures.
Although this practice may cause some controversy in the short term, in the long run, it ensures the smooth running of the project and the overall benefit of society.
In contrast, India seems to be more short-sighted when it comes to large infrastructure projects. Whether it's the Pagelpur Dam or the Jharkhand Dam, there is a sense of rush.
Although a lot of money and time have been invested, there are serious shortcomings in key aspects such as quality management and follow-up maintenance.
More notably, after project failures, the India government and relevant ministries tend to shift responsibility to each other rather than seriously summarize lessons learned. Such an attitude will not only not help solve the problem, but will also hinder the country's long-term development in infrastructure construction.
These events tell us that large-scale projects not only require ambition, but also need a solid technical foundation, strict quality management and a scientific decision-making system. Blindly imitating the success stories of other countries, without considering one's own conditions, will only lead to failure and waste.
For India, perhaps now is not the time to challenge the Three Gorges project. They need to be down-to-earth and improve their engineering and management capabilities step by step.