The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest altitude railway
line, had caused little impact on the natural environment according
to an evaluation report , the Ministry of Railways said.
In a document issued ahead of the first anniversary of the
line's opening, the ministry said the railway had "effectively
conserved water and soil" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The railway line had caused little to no impact on local
vegetation and wildlife.
Experts with the Ministry of Water Sources, sent to the plateau
in June, said the railway's water and soil conservancy measures had
"effectively protected the ecological system on the Qinghai-Tibet
Plateau and sources of the Yellow, Yangtze and Lancang rivers."
Another group of experts with the environmental assessment
center under the State Environmental Protection Administration
(SEPA) said the railway's 33 specially-built passages for wild
animal migration had "positive, obvious functions" on minimizing
the railway's effect on wildlife.
Another report said the recovery of vegetation along the railway
is also "showing initial effect" and transplanted grass is growing
well.
"Passengers using the railway to Lhasa can see a harmonious
scene and wandering wild animals, as usual," Wang Yongping,
spokesman of the Ministry of Railways, said.
Construction of the railway had initially caused some concern
because the plateau's ecological environment is believed to be very
fragile.
However the Ministry of Railways was determined to go ahead with
the project and took a series of measures to keep the project's
impact to a minimum.
In a bid to protect the wildlife the ministry built passages at
key points along the route to enable animals such as antelopes to
safely cross during times of seasonal migration.
Inspections by SEPA experts and the local reserve bureau showed
animals had started to become accustomed to the special
passages.
The ministry purchased facilities on trains and at Lhasa and
Golmud railway stations, to ensure waste produced by passengers
along the route was properly disposed.
So far, more than 70,000 tons of waste and sewage had been
"properly" disposed of, the ministry said.
A survey showed almost 97 percent of residents in the Tibet
Autonomous Region were satisfied with the railway's environmental
protection measures.
There have been no reports of environmental pollution caused by
the railway, Xinhua said.
(China Daily July 2, 2007)