Post-disaster Reconstruction in Zhouqu to Be in Full Swing

All reconstruction projects in mudslide-slammed Zhouqu County in northwest China's Gansu Province will be in full swing in April, local authorities said.

Houses would be rebuilt and infrastructure would be restored in both urban and rural areas of the county which had been devastated by deadly mudslides in August last year, Liu Weiping, the provincial governor, said late Friday.

Liu demanded that all of the 164 reconstruction projects begin before the end of April and leading projects to combat geological disasters should be launched in March.

China has planned to complete the reconstruction of Zhouqu County, where more than 1,500 people were killed and another 264 were left missing in the massive rain-triggered mudslides, by the end of 2012.

It is estimated that reconstruction will cost 5 billion yuan (about US$759 million).

Liu said more than 60 percent of the investment would be channeled into those projects by the end of this year.

According to the plan, which was revealed in November last year, the central government would mostly finance the reconstruction, but donations, bank loans and other resources would also be needed.