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New county seat awaits nod

By Huang Zhiling and Wang Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-06 07:38

CHENGDU: A new location for the quake-ravaged county seat of Qingchuan, where aftershocks of the massive May 12 earthquake continue to occur, is yet to be approved, a top official of the county said.

Even though experts have recommended that the new county center should be moved to Zhuyuan, about 70 km south of Qiaozhuang, the original seat, county head Chen Zhengyong said nothing was confirmed "until higher authorities approve the rebuilding plan".

Zhuyuan is the only town in the county that is not located in geological fault zones.

"Higher government authorities are still assessing the rebuilding plan," Chen said.

Located in a geological fault zone in northern Sichuan bordering Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, Qiaozhuang was reduced to rubble in last year's 8-magnitude Wenchuan quake, which left nearly 70,000 people dead. Almost eight months since, the town continues to feel the aftershocks.

In Qingchuan alone, the earthquake killed almost 5000 people and injured more than 15,000. It destroyed nearly 1.4 million homes, leaving about 250,000 people homeless.

Qingchuan has also recorded the highest magnitude aftershocks in the Sichuan province, with many of them occurring around the old county seat.

Since Nov 1, the county has felt nine aftershocks exceeding 3.0-magnitude. Two people died and three others were injured in a 5.0-magnitude aftershock on Dec 11.

The State Council, the country's cabinet, in mid-December approved the relocation of Beichuan, another quake-battered county, which saw half of its 26,000 residents killed and 70 percent of its buildings destroyed in the quake.

Beichuan is set to move to flatter land in Anchang town, with work on the first phase of construction due to start after the Spring Festival.

In May of last year, Huang Runqiu, vice-president of Chengdu University of Technology, after investigating Qingchuan's geology, had suggested that the county seat be relocated.

"Zhuyuan's geological conditions are ideal for construction work, and its groundwater can meet the needs of a new county seat," said Huang, who is also the vice-chairman of the Sichuan provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Huang, along with four other senior experts of Sichuan, has written a report suggesting Zhuyuan be chosen as Qingchuan's new county seat.

The report, which is being assessed by higher government departments, is most likely to be approved, he said.