Sichuan reconstruction gaining full speed

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Source: CCTV.com | 08-19-2008 15:50

Reconstruction in Sichuan province is in full swing just three months after the massive Wenchuan earthquake. More than ninety percent of businesses in the province have reopened, and agriculture is also returning to relative normality. Tourism has returned to pre-quake operations in 13 cities and prefectures in Sichuan. Travel hot spots--Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong were in fact running full operations even prior to the opening of the Olympic Games.

Huang Yanrong, vice-governor of Sichuan province people's  government

A housing construction project is in progress -- rebuilding severely damaged and destroyed houses. The work -- underway in rural areas is expected to take a year and a half. Quake victims in rural areas will move into low cost, safe housing by the end of December, 2009. Every household will be given a construction subsidy of 20,000 yuan or 2,500 USD.

In townships and counties, quake survivors are assured of permanent homes by the end of 2010. Still, construction crews report serious shortages of raw building materials.

Huang Yanrong, vice-governor of Sichuan province people's government says "The reconstruction over the next three years requires 37 million tons of steel, and 370 million tons of concrete. Enterprises manufacturing building materials are to resume production first. Over 195 thousand permanent houses are under construction. 20 thousand, post disaster houses are nearing completion."