China Tibet Online
December 27, 2012
Tibet is to build 4 dams along the part of the Lhasa River within the city as a palliativeto desertification at some of the drainage areas, according to the Water Resource Bureau of Tibetan Autonomous Region.
This effort is joined by the Lhasa River landscape project to keep a large stretch of water surface during low water period.
It is in winter that the Lhasa River enters low water period. As a result, a part of the basins turn into beach, a phenomenon of desertification. Upon the completion of the dams, water will be released in low water period in order to increase the flow at the riverbed and to form a broad surface. In such a way, the desertification of the Lhasa River in winter season is bound to be relieved.
Lhasa River landscape project with a total investment of 3 billion yuan, is a package encompassing a raft of projects including water resource, transportation and environment protection. Covering 18 kilometers of the river, it is estimated to be finished in 2014. Then, Tibet will introduce several water tourism activities such asTibetan wooden boat as to attract more tourists via activities on water.
According to report, the dams are established with a purpose of flood prevention and overall urban water quality improvement. They are designed under a hypothesis of one flood disaster per 50 years.
The Lhasa River is deemed the Mother River of the Tibetans, meaning “the river ofhappiness” in Chinese. It originates from the Nyainqen tanglha Mountains and empties into the estuary of the Yarlung Zangbo River, extending more than 30,000 kilometers.
