Habitat threat suspends Chenglan railway project
By Li Qian |
March 6, 2013, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Ministry of Environmental Protection has suspended an approval for a major railway project in western China's mountainous regions over concern for possible negative effects on rare and endangered species in local natural reserves.
The Chenglan route, linking Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, has been designed to run through at least eight environmentally sensitive areas, including panda habitat, national geographic parks and marine fossil reserves, said the designer, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd.
The group denied that the project was canceled, saying the ministry ordered that the plan be rectified, which it called routine, China Economic Weekly reported.
Li Wenbin, an official with project department office of the group, admitted the ministry's decision would temporarily affect progress, but said preparatory work was still under way.
The ministry pointed out in a notice in December that the construction might affect pandas, snub-nosed monkeys and black bears as well as wild plants. Also, it may have a large noise impact.
Authorities began investigating the route and its design as long as 13 years ago, the magazine reported. It has been delayed by several factors.
The catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 affected local geography. Also, the severe Wenzhou bullet train crash in 2011 led to checks on all railway projects. Some of the major sections of the Chenglan route had to temporarily suspend construction.
Financing shortages also created a temporary delay, the magazine said.
The Chenglan route, linking Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, has been designed to run through at least eight environmentally sensitive areas, including panda habitat, national geographic parks and marine fossil reserves, said the designer, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd.
The group denied that the project was canceled, saying the ministry ordered that the plan be rectified, which it called routine, China Economic Weekly reported.
Li Wenbin, an official with project department office of the group, admitted the ministry's decision would temporarily affect progress, but said preparatory work was still under way.
The ministry pointed out in a notice in December that the construction might affect pandas, snub-nosed monkeys and black bears as well as wild plants. Also, it may have a large noise impact.
Authorities began investigating the route and its design as long as 13 years ago, the magazine reported. It has been delayed by several factors.
The catastrophic Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 affected local geography. Also, the severe Wenzhou bullet train crash in 2011 led to checks on all railway projects. Some of the major sections of the Chenglan route had to temporarily suspend construction.
Financing shortages also created a temporary delay, the magazine said.
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