BUILDING THE NEW: Workers rebuild sections of Changu Village on July 6. Reconstruction of the village started on May 4 and is expected to be completed by August 20 (ZHANG HONGXIANG)

Reconstruction has been going well. Qinghai has rallied 23 professional teams, and gathered more than 10,000 people to remove dilapidated houses and ruins, and recycle and reuse construction waste. The work is carried out through joint efforts of the military and civilians. So far, the first batch of construction waste removal projects has been basically completed.

Reconstruction of the transportation system is in full swing. Renovation of the highway from Yushu Airport to Gyegu Town started shortly after the earthquake. As of May 1 this year, asphalt was being paved on the road. Relevant railroad administrative departments have completed revamping the railroad cargo transportation centers, such as Xining City's north cargo transportation center. Measures have been taken to ensure the smooth operation of highways.

Relevant energy departments are also taking measures to guarantee electricity supplies, including restoring electricity supplies from small hydropower stations, and building emergency electricity generating facilities.

The government has mobilized various provinces and cities to take part in partner assistance. On June 20, the State Council's post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction group in Yushu held a meeting on partner assistance in Xining. At the meeting, Qinghai signed agreements with partners such as Beijing Municipality, northeast China's Liaoning Province and four state-owned enterprises. The partners immediately sent people to the disaster-stricken area to work on planning and designing projects. Some construction workers and equipment have arrived at the site.

The four state-owned enterprises are China State Construction Engineering Corp., China Railway Engineering Corp., China Railway Construction Corp. and Sinohydro Corp.

Liaoning was chosen as a partner because it has offered counterpart assistance to Qinghai for a long time under an east-west cooperation and counterpart assistance program. Beijing has also supported Qinghai's development for a long time. Recently (before the earthquake struck Yushu), the Central Government made some arrangements to help Tibetan-inhabited areas including Qinghai, and Beijing shouldered the task to offer assistance to Yushu Prefecture. So, after the earthquake, Beijing actively participated in post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Yushu's harsh natural condition does create many challenges. For instance, altitude sickness has been the biggest difficulty in post-disaster reconstruction, since Yushu on average is 4,000 meters above the sea level.

A series of measures have been taken to tackle the problem. First, construction teams experienced in working at high altitudes are chosen. Some of the four state-owned enterprises offering counterpart assistance have that experience. Some construction workers are also selected from Qinghai's surrounding areas. Second, specific instructions on altitude sickness are given to construction workers, and medical personnel also go to the construction site to give face-to-face instructions. Temporary medical facilities to prevent or treat the sickness are constructed, and the number of medical personnel offering services is increased. Third, front line construction workers take turns to rest and rehabilitate.

As to the short suitable construction time in this area, an important solution is to strengthen work coordination. Making good preparation is necessary. For instance, as building materials have to be shipped from other places, it is important to prepare enough of them before construction starts.

Ecological conservation must be emphasized during post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.

First, ecological conservation should be a basic principle that is always adhered to during the rehabilitation and reconstruction process. Second, the overall plan has divided the land into three zones: ecological conservation zone, appropriate reconstruction zone and comprehensive development zone. Third, when choosing the construction site, we should pay attention to protecting the local environment, and we should recycle and reuse construction waste.