Tibet government departments have taken measures to ensure the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which goes into trial operation as of July 1, is an ecologically friendly route.

 

The Tourism Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region predicts that visitor numbers will increase by 3,000-4,000 each day in Tibet when services start on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway on July 1.

 

Careful disposal of garbage

 

Ma Baocheng, deputy manager of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company, said that his company has made careful arrangements concerning environmental protection of tourist attractions along the route.

 

According to him, sewage and garbage disposal units are being placed at railway stations. The waste will be transported within a week by special trains to Golmud, a city in Qinghai Province, for treatment. Waste collection systems will be installed on all trains to discharge the garbage in advance using compression technology.

 

Toilet facilities in Lhasa

 

Sewage and garbage treatment plants as well as other necessary facilities are to be built in Lhasa City.

 

"Central government and Lhasa City have spent over 10 million (US$12,400) on local public sanitation facilities," said Zhang Xuanhong, general office director of the Lhasa Environment and Sanitation Bureau. "79 new toilets were built last year."

 

Lhasa now has 200 toilets scattered throughout the old and new towns and at tourist attractions. Three new toilets were opened after renovation work at the Potala Palace Square was completed last year.

 

Tour guides to supervise garbage disposal

 

"Each tourist bus must have garbage bags and dustbins," said Liao Lisheng, general office director of the Environmental Protection Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region, "Tour guides will supervise tourists to ensure garbage goes into these bags. They'll take the garbage to designated places. It'll be moved to disposal plants by the local environmental protection bureau." 

 

"All tour guides and staff at tourist attractions have to receive environmental protection-based training," said Gor Gor, director of Lhasa Tourism Bureau.

 

"They're required to explain the importance of environmental protection among tourists," Gor added. He said tour guides would be punished if the groups they were responsible for were found to be dropping litter.

 

(China.org.cn June 26, 2006)