Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 19: A Tibetan youth from Tsaruma village in Kyungchu (Ch: Qiongxi) County, Ngaba (Ch. Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan region of Amdo, has raised alarm over illegal mining activities carried out by the Anhui Shanhe construction company.
The youth, identified as Tsering, posted a video online, exposing the environmental damage caused by the company’s sand and stone extraction in the region’s riverbanks since May 2023. The rivers in Tsaruma is a tributary of the Machu (Yellow River) and Drichu (Yangtze River).
In the video, Tsering expressed grave concerns over the harmful impact of these extraction activities on the environment and the local residents. He appealed directly to Chinese authorities, urging them to take decisive action. “I respectfully ask the leaders of China to address this environmental issue. We must protect a safe environment for future generations. I request that higher authorities investigate the destruction caused in our area and enforce strict legal oversight to prevent illegal activities. Corporate misconduct and corruption must be eradicated,” he said.
Tsering revealed that residents of Tsaruma village had previously taken action by filing complaints with local authorities, including the Tsaruma local government, the Kyungchu County Supervisory Committee, and environmental agencies in both Ngaba Prefecture and Kyungchu County. They provided evidence in the form of photographs and videos documenting the damage inflicted on the area and its nomadic communities.
The Kyungchu County Environmental Protection Bureau acknowledged that the Anhui Shanhe Construction Company had engaged in illegal extraction. The Bureau stated that the offenders had been fined, and the case was closed. However, the response failed to address the need for comprehensive accountability for the environmental harm caused.
Between October and December 2023, local residents also continued to press the Ngaba Prefecture Water Affairs Department to reassess its decisions, but their repeated appeals went unanswered, with no further action taken. Investigations were also carried out by other authorities, including the Kyungchu County Water Affairs Bureau, the Transportation Department, and the Tsaruma Village Committee. Despite these investigations, the nomadic residents of Tsaruma village persistently voiced their dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the situation, both verbally and in written form.
The Anhui Shanhe Construction Company, involved in numerous projects across Tibet, including in Lhasa and Dechen County, is a major player in construction, infrastructure development, and environmental engineering. Its operations include road construction, power plant and reservoir building, and electrical equipment installation.
