The earthquake monitoring center at the Three Gorges area inside
the Chongqing section began construction Tuesday in Shizhu County,
Chongqing. This center is the first of its kind in Three Gorges
area and it will provide technical support regarding operation
safety, earthquake damage relief and geologic disaster
evaluation.
According to the Earthquake Bureau of Shizhu County, the
earthquake monitoring center was approved by the National
Development and Reform Commission and the China Earthquake
Administration. The center, at a cost of about 2.2 million yuan
(US$296,000), will be finished in July of 2008. The total area
consists of 0.67 hectares.
The center will monitor and issue advisory earthquake warning
information for the surrounding districts and counties. This
information will be collected and processed and then reported to
the Chongqing Municipal Earthquake Bureau.
The earthquake and geological environment in the Three Gorges
area is complex and the potential for earthquakes and other
geological disasters is quite real. About 85 percent of Three
Gorges area is in the jurisdiction of Chongqing.
(China.org.cn by Chen Lin, November 21, 2007)