Rebuilding almost completed in Yushu

All the affected residents of the earthquake-hit Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Northwest China's Qinghai province are expected to move into new homes before the end of the year, a senior official said.

The total investment for the reconstruction of Yushu — which was hit by a 7.1-magnitude quake on April 14, 2010 — is 34.67 billion yuan ($5.55 billion), Xu Fushun, executive vice-governor of Qinghai province, said in an interview with China Daily.

The earthquake claimed more than 2,600 lives and left about 12,000 injured. President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other leaders rushed to the scene, and promised survivors that they would get new homes, schools and hospitals. The State Council published a blueprint for reconstruction on June 9, 2010, outlining plans to build a new Yushu in three years.

Homes have already been built for all of the 16,710 shepherd households in Yushu, and 12,601 of the families had moved in by the end of September, said Xu, who is also a delegate to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

As for the 22,439 urban households in the prefecture, 18,466 new homes have been built, and 9,865 of the families had moved in by the end of September, he said.

In addition, 42 of the 44 schools in the prefecture have been rebuilt and had been put into use by the end of September, while construction of the other two will soon be finished. Students in Yushu who were sent to other places by the government after the quake have mostly resumed studies in their old schools, said Xu.

Four major hospitals have been built and put into operation, including one general hospital and one for women and children in Yushu county, which is the seat of Yushu prefecture, as well as two hospitals in two remote counties.

The blueprint for reconstruction included 63 hospitals, clinics and other medical projects, and all will have been completed by the end of November, said Xu.

In addition, "infrastructure projects, such as roads, power facilities, waste landfill sites and heating system facilities are making steady progress," Xu said.

"Yushu is located in the Three-River-Source Nature Reserve, where the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang (Mekong) rivers originate. Its environment is vital for many major rivers in China and even Asia," Xu said.

The region has a very fragile ecosystem, with high requirements for restoration and protection, he said.

Yushu has a population of 385,100, with 97.7 percent belonging to the Tibetan ethnic group. It has more than 238 venues for Tibetan-Buddhist activities, which account for a third of the total in Qinghai province.

Almost one-sixth of Yushu residents are monks and nuns, and they have a big influence on the local culture and economy.