Xinjiang storm takes heavy toll

• Source: Global Times
• [13:43 January 26 2010]
• Comments

Premier Wen Jiabao visited Tacheng and the badly hit Ataly, over the weekend. Temperatures in those areas have fallen as low as minus 43 C and snow banks up to 8 meters tall can still be seen on the sides of national expressways. Photo: Xinhua

By Guo Qiang

At least 13 people are dead and 1.4 million are suffering the effects of Xinjiang's worst snow-storm in 60 years, State media reported Monday.

The northwestern area of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has been hit hardest by the storm over the past two weeks. In the more than 30 cities affected, at least 21,800 homes have been damaged and 162,000 people have been relocated, according to the local government.

Of the 13 killed, one froze to death and the rest died after being buried under snow, the Xinhua News Agency reported Monday.

Liu Wenkui, an Heating Supply Company, told the Global Times that coal use has increased by almost 200 tons every day, up from 400 tons.

And Yin Zhidong, general manager of the Tacheng Yitong Heating Supply Company, told the Global Times that their coal supply has almost run out. As of Monday, snow was still falling in Tacheng, one of the worst-hit regions. Snowfall topped 20 centimeters Monday and accumulation was already more than a meter.

"There is only a one-week coal reserve. Our vans have been stranded for more than a dozen days. If the snow continues and no new supply arrives, the city will be in big trouble," he said, noting that a safe reserve is considered 3,000 tons – enough for 20 days.

Premier Wen Jiabao visited Tacheng and the badly hit Ataly, over the weekend. Temperatures in those areas have fallen as low as minus 43 C and snow banks up to 8 meters tall can still be seen on the sides of national expressways, according to State media.

"The Spring Festival (China's lunar new year) is drawing near. We must implement well-planned relief measures and make sure that people in blizzard-hit regions have a peaceful and happy festival," the premier said at a meeting with Xinjiang officials Saturday evening.

The most urgent task is to maintain people's livelihoods, agriculture and animal-husbandry operations, supplies of commodities and transport services, he said.

Toloubai, a 53-year-old Kazakh herdsman from Altay, said he was in desperate need of food for his 100 sheep and 5 horses.

"Grass! I want grass," Toloubai told the Global Times. "My livestock are exhausted and hungry."

Wen urged local officials to speed up transport of food from farming regions that were less affected by the devastating weather.

In Toli county of Tacheng, Wen suggested that shepherds change their nomadic lifestyles to a fixed habitat to improve their livelihoods, and the local government should fully exploit rich resources of wind and solar power.

The central and local governments are encouraging such fixed lifestyles by granting 80,000 yuan ($11,760) per relevant household.