The last of the measures to rid the Three Gorges dam area of mice began on Monday when workers spread 120 tonnes of a deadly drug in demolished townships and the newly built resettlement areas.

Medical workers said the drug, which contains ingredients known to have a cure effect on human heart disease, would "put mice to sleep" and therefore have no negative impact on the environment.

The water level in the dam of the world's largest hydropower project is expected to reach 135 metres next June.

It is this fact that has drawn intense media scrutiny of environmental questions surrounding the Three Gorges project.

Feng Shaoquan, an expert on mice at the Chongqing Municipal Disease Control Centre, said that over the next seven days, trained sanitary clearance staff would continue to scatter the drug and remove dead mice.

The total amount of rodenticide used at the Three Gorges will reach 200 tonnes, Feng said.

The drug was purchased following a nationwide bidding process. Shenyang Aiwei Co, which is supplying the drug, said it consists of rice soaked with the rodenticide and will have only a very minor environmental impact.

Had this measure not been taken, the mice would relocate to dry ground once the dam begins to store water, Feng said.

They would even follow residents to their new homes dozens of kilometres away, Feng added.

Relevant departments began providing training to more than 800 disease control staff and 5,000 clearance workers.

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