Construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, recently approved by the Chinese government,will not bring "ecological disasters" to the project area, a senior Chinese engineer said.
On the contrary, the project will play a key role in protecting
the ecological environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, said Ran
Li, chief engineer with the No.1 Survey and Design Institute under
the Ministry of Railways (MOR).
The 1,180-kilometer railway, the first linking the Tibet Autonomous
Region with the rest of China, will extend from Lhasa in Tibet to
Golmud in Qinghai Province, northwest China. It will be the longest
and most elevated railway built on highlands in the world.
Ran said that the claim that the railway will bring "ecological
disasters" to Qinghai and Tibet is totally groundless.
Ran said that to find ways for constructing railways on earth
that has been frozen for a long time, his institute and the Northwest
Branch of the Science Research Institute, affiliated with the MOR,
has launched a series of experiments and research onthe Qinghai-Tibet
Plateau since the 1960s.
They have amassed a lot of experience for building the Qinghai-
Tibet railway and found ways to protect the local eco-system during
the process of the project, Ran said.
According to Ran, they conducted experiments in areas with an
elevation of 4,750 meters, building roadbed, bridges, houses and
water supply and drainage systems. A "green belt" will be built along
the planned railway, Ran said.
More than 960 kilometers, or over four-fifths of the railway will
be built at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. And more than half of it
will be laid on earth that has been frozen for a long period of time.
Ran said, based on their experiments, they have worked out
measures to protect frozen earth during the process of the project.
To protect animal and plant resources in the Hoh Xil, Qiangtang
and other nature reserves in the area, more bridges and passages
for animals will be built on the section of the Qinghai-Tibet railway
in the nature reserve zones, Ran added.
More measures are to be taken to keep a clean environment along
the railroad, such as closed passenger trains will be arranged on the
rail line, and the garbage on the trains will be treated in designated
places.
Ran held that China has mastered the technologies to build railways
on highlands and on earth that has been frozen for a longtime, adding
they are sure that no damage will be inflicted on local environment.
Ran said, people who live in the area along the soon-to-be-constructed
railway mainly burn timber and animal manure to cook meals and for
other daily life purposes, which is detrimental to local fragile ecological
environment.
The Qinghai-Tibet railway, upon completion, is to play a very
important role in protecting environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,
as it can serves major passage through which coal, petroleum and
other energy resources can be transported into Tibet from northwest
China, Ran said.

Date:February 16
Xinhuanet