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On way to steady reconstruction

By Fu Jing and Xin Zhiming (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-29 14:43

Policymakers and experts are mapping out a reconstruction plan for Pingwu county in Sichuan province two weeks after the earthquake.

But the fear of frequent aftershocks, the danger of an epidemic outbreak and shortage of relief materials have hindered their progress.

"We are drafting a plan, and it has been decided that 867 million yuan ($123.86 million) will be allocated for rebuilding and repairing school buildings and other education facilities," Ren Haibo, the county's education chief, said yesterday. The amount for "reconstruction of other facilities has not yet been decided".

Almost all the school buildings in Pingwu collapsed in the quake, killing about 400 students and teachers.

Altogether, 3,000 people were killed and another 3,000 went missing in Pingwu, which had a population of more than 187,000, and the county suffered a material loss of about 45 billion yuan.

The policymakers have decided that all the new buildings, especially those housing schools, must be able to stand an 8-magnitude quake, said Chen Xianhui, head of Pingwu earthquake relief work headquarters.

A 200-member expert team from Yunnan province has reached Pingwu to help build temporary shelters for the quake survivors. Yunnan, Jilin and Shandong provinces have agreed to help with Pingwu's reconstruction.

Relief materials have started reaching the county after the main road linking it with bigger cities was reopened on Tuesday.

The 500 tents received yesterday have already been distributed among families with elderly people and/or children in the county.

Till more tents are received, the others have to make do with self-made shelters, which the strong evening wind threatens to blow away.

The county is nestled in the mountains, with about 95 percent of its area being 2,000 m above the sea level, Chen said. The highest point of Pingwu is about 5,000 m above the sea level.

The frequent aftershocks, too, pose a threat to the shelters.

"Aftershocks rock the area up to four times a day and occur more often between 2 pm and 5 pm. They can trigger mudslides and cave-ins," Chen said.

The days are becoming hotter, with the temperature rising up to 30 C. Such weather is conducive to the spread of diseases, experts said.

Two cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease have already been reported, prompting local health officials to tighten their vigil.