By Tenzin Dharpo
Dharamsala, August 6: A new road venture leading to the Gyama valley by a Chinese road construction company in Medro Gungkar County, near Lhasa (Tibetan Autonomous Region) has become a concern for local Tibetans who fear a new mining project might be in the offing, reported the Radio free Asia.
Rich in silver, copper and gold ore besides minerals such as molybdenum, Gyama valley has seen major mining operations by the Chinese government in the past with severe ecological consequences as locals bear the brunt of reckless mining pursuits. The pollution of local rivers and water bodies has resulted in death of livestock and health hazards to the residents.
The mining operation could begin as early as within this month, the RFA cited a local Tibetan. Describing the transition in the ecology of the area, he said, “In the past, our rivers were crisp and clean, and the mountains and valley were known for their natural beauty, now the rivers are polluted with poisonous waste from the mines”.
Another resident Tibetan told RFA, “What we are seeing now may be plans for a new mine [in Gyama]”.
The plans in Gyama by Chinese government say little of their recent proclamation of “ensuring environmental proclamation” in Tibet at the politburo conclave in Beijing and further reiterates the heavily criticized maneuvering of resource exploitation at the cost of environmental compromise.
In March 2013, a major landslide hit the area killing 81 Chinese migrant workers and 2 Tibetans. The Central Tibetan Administration termed the disaster as ‘man-made’ and called it an inevitable result of “exploration, water diversion, mining and road construction”.
Tibet’s gold and copper deposit is worth one trillion dollars to China and it is fueling the rise of Chinese consumer product demands in the world among other things.
