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World's Highest Railway Sinking
Jul 28,2006 00:00
by
correspondent
he world's highest Qinghai-Tibet railway line which was opened this month amid great celebration and fanfare has reportedly developed cracks in its concrete structures while its permafrost foundation is sinking and cracking. According to the Chinese railway officials, the frozen ground that forms the foundation of the railway is sinking and cracking in some sections, making the railway unstable in some places. Chinese President Hu Jintao opened the railway to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa July 1, calling it a magnificent engineering feat and a miracle for the world. The 4.2-billion dollar railway line climbs a peak of 5,072 meters (16,737 feet) above sea level along the Tibetan plateau. Climatologists had earlier warned that rising temperatures could lead to the melting of the permafrost foundation of the railway, but said nothing about the frozen ground sinking or cracking. However critics argue the line will allow the national majority Han Chinese to flood in to Tibet, leading to the devastation of the local Tibetan culture, as well as accelerate environmental degradation of the pristine region. The Chinese government sees it as a project to tap natural resources on the vast Tibetan plateau and bring the region out of poverty. |