Society

A leading Chinese power company has promised that the world's highest hydropower station in Tibet will not reduce water flows downstream on the Yarlung Zangbo River.

Damming of the river began on November 12, marking the formal start of construction of the 7.9 billion-yuan Zangmu Hydropower Station. The move has caused concern in the downstream countries, including India, who fear the project will disrupt water flows.

"The river will not be stopped during construction," said Li Chaoyi, chief engineer of China Huaneng Group, the prime contractor for the project.

"After it becomes operational, the river water will flow downstream through water turbines and sluices. So the water volume downstream will not be cut," he said.

Li said environment protection would be a top priority in the construction and operation.

Zangmu Hydropower Station, with six 85-megawatt power generating units, is a key project under China's ambitious plan for Tibet's development.

The station will ease power shortages in central Tibet and boost regional economic development. The first unit will be put into operation in 2014.

A Shanghai high-rise apartment fire that killed 53 people was completely avoidable, Chinese top labor safety official said, blaming lax supervision and illegal work practices.

Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, is leading the probe into the blaze, which gutted the 28-story building Monday afternoon after sparks from welding allegedly set nylon netting and scaffolding on fire, leaving many trapped in their homes.

"The accident should not have happened and could have been completely avoided," Luo saidin comments published Thursday.

Updated at 15:30 16^th Nov 2010:

Shanghai apartment building fire took 53 lives till now.

A rescue operation was underway on Monday after a 28-story residential building was engulfed in flames in Shanghai, Xinmin News reported

The fire started around the 10th floor of the apartment building in Yuyao road, in Jinggan district of the city at 3:09 pm.

Witnesses said the flames can be seen engulfing the whole building, trapping a number of people on the roof and on scaffolding being used for repairs.

IN a private room in a mysterious little restaurant in Chengdu, my fellow diners goaded me to eat the turtle. It was soft-shelled, they said — as if that made it more enticing. They laughed and joked in Chinese, which I do not speak. Eating turtle grows a man’s bank account, my translator said. I didn’t get the meaning at first. Then it sunk in.

I plucked bibs and bobs of turtle from between the top shell and underbelly. It was bitter, spicy in that classically

Sichuanese way, and startlingly good. It was paired with a mouth-cooling chaser, a gazpacho of coconut milk and buoyant tapioca balls.

We were at Zi Fi, a restaurant in the capital of Sichuan province in south-central China. Chengdu is one of many Chinese cities little known by the West but exploding with activity nonetheless. And Zi Fi is one of many Chengdu restaurants that are daring in these heady times to experiment with one of China’s most beloved cuisines.