Residents working hard to help secure water ecology in Xizang

Thousands of local residents have been making contributions to the water ecology protection and restoration work in Nagchu, Xizang autonomous region, guided by efficient official governance.

The city hires them to patrol natural environments, including lakes, rivers and forests.

According to the city's water conservancy bureau, over 90,000 of the city's 505,400 people have been employed as ecological protectors, including more than 14,000 working as water ecological protectors.

Most of these residents engaged in ecological protection work receive subsidies from the government. By the end of this year, all 90,000 will have collectively received 32 million yuan ($4.4 million) as compensation for their efforts.

Tsega, an ecological patrolman in Marchu township of Nagchu city's Amdo county, said he has been participating in water ecology protection work for decades. His village, called Lothe, is located more than 5,000 meters above sea level and is the home of the Jangchu Diruk Glacier — the main source of the Yangtze River, often dubbed as China's "mother river".

Tsega said his fellow villagers have understood the importance of ecological protection for generations, and they regard it as a good tradition, as the snow-capped glaciers are the fundamental source of their water.

The Marchu township government has designated more than 300 ecological caretakers to regularly conduct cleanups along the rivers, the wetland, the grassland and the environment near the glaciers.

Tsega said during every cleanup, villagers pick up plastic bags and beverage bottles in the rivers and on the grassland, and they also advise residents and tourists not to litter while traveling in the wilderness.

"The rivers and streams that flow from here not only become drinking water for countless residents downstream, but also serve as drinking water for all the wildlife inhabiting the river basins," Tsega said.

"This is why the pastoral communities in our places place great importance on protecting clean water sources. Throughout the year, the villagers, regardless of age or gender, will participate in the cleaning of the environment."

Sodrub is another ecological caretaker from Lhegan village in Nagchu's Nyanrong county. His village has more than 60 ecological caretakers, whose main responsibility is to protect the rivers, lakes, wetlands and grasslands.

"Every seven days, we conduct patrols and pick up litter in the wilderness. We protect all the wildlife around the lake, check for any injured or dead animals and ensure a pollution-free environment," Sodrub said.

"This way, both humans and livestock will be healthy, diseases can be prevented, and both humans and livestock will thrive," he added.

More than 2,700 patrol personnel have been hired within the area of Three-River-Source National Park in Nagchu's Drachen county, according to the county's grassland and forestry bureau.

Nyima Kelsang, head of the bureau, said these environment patrolmen are responsible for protecting river sources, clearing garbage and conserving wildlife on a regular basis.

Pema, Party secretary of Sershongal village in Drachen, said that protecting the environment is the responsibility of each of his fellow villagers, and local people attach great importance to the protection of the environment.

"Like what we do now, in the future, we will continue to protect the mountains and rivers of our hometown as always," Pema said.