Reconstruction of Yushu creates ecological worries
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E-mail Xinhua, May 24, 2012
Although northwest China's Yushu prefecture is continuing to recover from a devastating earthquake that rocked the region two years ago, some citizens are concerned that the reconstruction work has damaged the area's environment, with hundreds of excavators digging in the fragile region.
Photos posted by microblogger Liu Hongqiao on Sina Weibo, the country's most popular microblogging site, depict rubble and barren pits left behind by excavators on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
The photos show that part of the Tongtian River, located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze, has become narrowed and segmented as a result of quarrying, with some rubble dumped into the water.
Netizens have said that may not be worthwhile to rebuild Yushu at the cost of the river's ecology, questioning the efforts of local authorities to properly supervise the reconstruction.
Li Guolong, a professor of water resources at Sichuan University in the southwestern city of Chengdu, said quarrying in waterways often results in changes to a given river's width and orientation.
It may also lead to lower water levels and more sediment downstream, Li said, adding that flood risks may also be increased as a result of dumping rubble into the river.
Local authorities responded to the outcry via their own Sina Weibo account, admitting that the quarries are indeed being set up for the reconstruction of Yushu.
A total of 272 quarries and brick kilns have received approval to go into operation since the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the area on April 14, 2010, according to Dorgya, an official in charge of supervising the reconstruction.
He said the government faces a dilemma between ecological protection and maintaining its reconstruction schedule, adding that the use of local materials is the only feasible solution after calculating the costs involved.
The area's reconstruction currently involves 1,579 projects, with a planned investment of 31.65 billion yuan (4.99 billion U.S. dollars), according to the National Auditing Office.
However, the region's prolonged winters leave only six months to rebuild each year, while its high elevation has created logistical problems in transporting construction materials.
The provincial capital of Xining, 800 km away from Yushu, is the closest available source of building materials. But the area's snow-covered roads, built at an average elevation of more than 3,000 meters, makes it difficult to transport materials between the two locations.
"We decided to choose the Tongtian River for quarry sites because of the river's large quantity of bedloads, which means comparatively less environmental damage," Dorgya said.
Dorgya said all quarries approved by the prefectural government have passed environmental evaluations.
However, other officials admitted that there have been irregularities.
Tseten Dru, director of the prefectural land resources bureau, said five quarries have been closed since May 8 because of a lack of governmental approval. Another two quarries were closed over suspicion of gold mining.
There are also quarries that dig in more than one location with only one certificate, which is a violation of construction policies, according to Tseten.
Dorgya said his supervisory team is examining the sites and will shut down any quarries that are found to be violating regulations.
There is a financial incentive for the quarries to stay in the clear. Dorgya said all quarries are required to hand over 500,000 to 800,000 yuan as a "trust deposit" to ensure that they make efforts to repair any land that is damaged after the quarries are closed.
The deposits will be held and used for environmental repairs in the event that the quarries fail to pass evaluations by relevant departments, Dorgya said.
"Reconstruction is very important for quake-hit Yushu, but ecological protection is still more important," Dorgya said.
He said the quarries will all be closed as soon as the reconstruction is completed.
As the cradle of China's three major waterways (the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers), Yushu is known for both its biodiversity and ecological fragility. The provincial government has dealt with many challenges in seeking to balance reconstruction efforts with ecological preservation.
More than 800 of the region's reconstruction projects have begun since June 2010, accounting for 66 percent of the total. Most of the projects are scheduled for completion next year.
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