Almost a decade ago, Ganlan, a small town in the southwestern China province of Yunnan situated near the borders of Laos and Myanmar was chosen as the site of a new hydroelectric plant built to be located on the small road to Jinghong City on the Mekong River.

According to a local resident, the plant was started seven or eight years ago but is still under construction. Even though the water going through this town is crystal clear, locals dare not use it for everyday purposes. Bathing in the water is known to result in itches – that alone is enough for warning to avoid using the water for drinking or cooking.

Two years ago, fish in the section of the Mekong River that runs through Ganlan died for unknown reasons.  The Ganlan hydroelectric plant site is patrolled and protected strictly as a military base, with no local residents is allowed to pass through the construction zone.