Thanks to new drinking water projects, 188,000 farmers and herdsmen
in southwest China's
Tibet Autonomous Region, were able to access clean drinking
water by the end of last year.
According to the latest statistics from the Office of Drinking
Water Projects for Humans and Livestock in the region, a total of
1,174 small drinking water projects were constructed in Tibet from
May until October last year. These projects made drinking water
available to 188,000 farmers and herdsmen, and 2.2 million head of
domestic animals in 918 villages.
On
first seeing clean water gushing from an installed pipe, the
residents of No 1 Village in Damquka Town of Damxung County near
Lhasa, the regional capital, brimmed with enthusiasm. Dressed in
festive attire, the villagers danced and sung around the water
pipe.
"We villagers had access to electricity last year, and we have
clean drinking water this year. I never dreamed I would see the two
major events take place in my village," said Zhabsang, 65, who has
been Party branch secretary for the No 1 Village for more than 30
years.
Zhabsang attributed the improvements to changes in the policy and
the continued support of the central government.
He
said that he was confident in leading his villagers to a happier
life in the future.
Tibet enjoys a vast expanse of land and rich water resources. But
arid and semi-arid areas make up 70 percent of the region's total
land space due to uneven distribution of precipitation, leading to
severe water shortages for people and livestock.
By
the end of 2000, there were still 550,000 people and 5 million head
of domestic animals facing water shortages, according to an
official from the Office of Drinking Water Projects for Humans and
Livestock in Tibet.
The central government and various levels of local government in
Tibet have attached great importance to settling the issue of water
shortages in the region. To date, the central government has
invested 100 million yuan (US$12 million) in building water
projects in Tibet.
As
a result, more than 500,000 people and over 5.7 million head of
livestock have been given access to clean drinking water over the
past 40 years.
The regional water conservation bureau has worked out a plan to
invest another 480 million yuan (US$58 million) in building more
than 3,000 drinking water projects in the 2001-05 period.
(Xinhua News Agency February 18, 2003)