According to state media, Liu Dehong, former vice director of the maritime bureau with the Ministry of Communications, together with five other senior politicians, have blamed record low water levels on the Yangtze river partly on the development of a series of dams built on its tributaries, including the Jinsha and Dadu rivers.
Relatively less water implies higher concentrations of pollutants threatening drinking water, the politicians reportedly added, saying that the construction of too many dams goes against the concept of scientific and harmonious development.