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BEIJING, Oct.1 (Xinhuanet) -- The oases of Xinjiang in northwest China are as precious as they are rare, in a landscape dominated by lifeless deserts and mountains. But dwindling water supplies due to growing population and urbanization have put them under threat. That's why many parts of Xinjiang are taking steps to reclaim land from the desert.
Six years ago, there was only desert here. Now, this picturesque lake and forest represent the frontline against the expanding desert in northern Xinjiang. Mr. Guo Deyong is the man who helped transform the landscape. Over the past few years, he and his team have planted trees in an area of 500 acres, and constructed a vast reservoir which has turned parts of the Gobi desert into wetlands.
Guo Deyong, director of Altay Sewage Disposal Plant said:"When we arrived here in 2009, the sandstorms were frequent, and could often shroud entire cities and farmlands nearby. Had we let that continue, the desert would have advanced and threatened to swallow the inhabitable oases."
The threat was urgent and the key to the puzzle was where to find enough irrigating water in the vast dry lands. The answer came from Guo's sewage disposal plant, which recycles the wastewater in the city of Altay.
Han Peng said:"Here, you smell the unbearable stink of the sewage which comes all the way from the toilets and kitchens of tens of thousands of Altay households. Now, the bigger pieces of the garbage is being grinded and then filtered out of the water. But this is just the start of a whole complicated process of the clean up."
After initial treatment, the sewage remains highly toxic. The plant set up giant sewage settling tanks, inside which they use microbes to trigger a string of biochemical reactions. This turns unwanted materials into sludge, leaving cleaner water at the top.
"Here, if you look through the microscope, you can see countless worms we've cultivated eating up unwanted worms in the water. This is the most sophisticated part of the whole clean up, which requires some cutting-edge technology for this remote part of Xinjiang," said Guo.
Even after the treatment process is complete, the water remains unfit for drinking. But the plant's chemical examination director says it becomes clean enough to irrigate trees, and even to farm fish.
Zheng Meiying, chemical exam chief of Altay Sewage Disposal Plant said:"The first test is the sewage, and you can see it's very dirty. The second is the water treated in our plant. The third is tap water in Altay households, and the last is the water from the river. By comparison, you can see the water we treated is even clearer than the rest."
For now, Mr. Guo is using the water to irrigate forests. But he has an even bolder ambition -- irrigating crops and vegetables in a land where water is scarce.
Guo said:"Theoretically, these vegetables are fit for eating, though you might feel uncomfortable knowing they were irrigated using what used to be sewage. This is still an experiment, and it’s under careful review by the government and professionals."
Guo's project is just a small part of Xinjiang's ecological recovery. This area of Altay alone has seen its forests expand from less than 50 acres in 2009 to over 600 acres today. Local authorities say tree planting will continue in the effort to build an ecological Great Wall to defend against the encroaching sands.
It might be hard to believe, but just six years ago, this place used to be gobi desert, just like the terrains beyond the forest. The ecological recovery of Xinjiang needs a combination of technology and investment, and most importantly, the determination of people who realize the irreversible consequence of desertification on this unique landscape.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
