Green keeper deep in the desert
"There are 26 rows of trees in the east and 15 rows of trees in the west of the protective forest we manage and manage. Every day, we must check the growth and watering of the saplings inside. If there is anything loose or leaking in the water pipe, it needs to be repaired and replaced." After eating every morning, rangers Wang Yabin and Wei Yali start their day's work. A 4-kilometer-long protective forest on the Tarim Desert Highway is the couple's "responsibility field."
There are a total of 108 well houses distributed in the 436-kilometer-long green protective forest along the Tarim Desert Highway, and each well house is guarded by rangers. Over the years, thanks to the protection of rangers represented by Wang Yabin and his wife, this green corridor is like a giant dragon, becoming a solid barrier to the road that has been annihilated by quicksand and guarding the arteries of China's oil and gas energy transportation.
This year, the deeds of ranger Wang Yabin and his wife were selected into the first batch of "Beautiful Xinjiang·Typical Cases of Ecological and Environmental Protection".
The most bitter: facing the wind and the scorching heat
In 1993, the Tarim Oilfield built the Tarim Desert Highway running through the Taklimakan Desert in order to develop oil and gas resources in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert.
Although the road has been repaired, because it is in a flowing desert, if protective measures are not taken, the road surface will be buried by quicksand before long. In order to solve the problem of sand prevention, petroleum people used locally grown reeds to form grass squares, and laid reed sand barriers and grass grid sand-fixing nets on both sides of the entire road. Three or four years later, when the mobility of yellow sand weakened, it was possible to plant desert plants for wind and sand fixation, such as red willow, Populus euphratica, Elaeagnus angustifolia, etc., and finally created a 436-kilometer long and 72 - 78-meter wide sand prevention green belt on both sides of the Tarim Desert Highway.
In order to maintain this green channel, the oilmen laid a complete well irrigation system on both sides of the road. A water well house is set up every 4 kilometers. 108 water well houses with red roofs and blue walls flash at intervals in the green shade on the east side of the road. Each water well house is guarded by a couple. Their daily job is to maintain about 40 rows and 200,000 trees within the 4-kilometer range, requiring daily irrigation and regular fertilization. Wang Yabin and Wei Yali, who are over fifty years old, have been here for more than 10 years.
At 9 o'clock every morning, Wang Yabin and his wife will regularly open the drip irrigation valve, monitor the water pressure of the water pressure gauge, and then conduct inspections along the 4-kilometer responsibility area.
In addition, in April, June and August every year, Wang Yabin and Wei Yali apply fertilizer to the trees and carry out pipe maintenance of the drip irrigation system.
"Now the water pipes are equipped with smart valves. Once the water pressure gauge is abnormal, the leaking valve can be located through the system." Wang Yabin said that he specially drew a valve position map so that when a problem was discovered, he could rush to repair it as soon as possible.
In the desert, the couple have long sinceXiUsed to face extremely hot weather, for them, the unpredictable sandstorms that come at any time are the most difficult. "When encountering a sandstorm, I didn't have time to rush back. I could only hide under the manhole cover of the drainage well." Wang Yabin said with a smile that sometimes there is no good weather for a week and it is windy every day.
"There are thunderstorms in my hometown and sandstorms here. They all come very fast." Wei Yali said, seeing too muchXiI am used to it.
The hardest thing: persevere in loneliness
At the door of the water well, Wei Yali planted many sunflowers in abandoned buckets.
"The days here are too desolate and lonely. When the flowers bloom, I look in a good mood." Looking at the blooming sunflowers, Wei Yali said with a smile.
It was not easy for the couple to stay stationed in the Taklimakan Desert, known as the "Sea of Death", during the eight months when the plants were in their growing season. Here, we not only have to face the harsh natural environment, but also overcome loneliness.
"I couldn't stay in the first year. At that time, there was no TV. Daily life and work relied on a generator. It was noisy all day. Two people had to shout in front of their ears to hear them. When the generator stopped at night, there were no lights, so many people couldn't hold on and left." Wei Yali said.
"Guarding protective forests in the desert is easy, but life is really hard." Wang Yabin told reporters that in the first few years, there was almost no signal in the desert. During the day, diesel engines were used to generate electricity to pump water and irrigate trees, but at night, there was no electricity available."Many times there was no signal or network, and there was basically no connection with the outside world, and food could not be stored. I dare not buy leafy vegetables, let alone meat." In June 2022, the Desert Highway Zero-Carbon Demonstration Project was completed and put into operation. 86 photovoltaic power stations replaced diesel engines to generate electricity. More than 10,000 solar photovoltaic panels continuously convert sunlight into electrical energy for pumping water and irrigation, providing "green" water sources for ecological protection forests. To achieve zero carbon emissions across the highway, the Tarim Desert Highway has become my country's first zero-carbon desert highway. Since then, the couple's living conditions have been greatly improved: electricity is available 24 hours a day, and the Tarim Oilfield Company has also equipped the water well room with air conditioners, refrigerators and televisions.
Favorite: Green seedlings thrive
"This tree only reached my calf when it was first planted, and now it is so tall." In the forest belt, Wang Yabin and his wife planted countless trees with their own hands.
"After staying for a long time, watching these seedlings grow taller day by day, I gradually have feelings." During the patrol, Wei Yali always likes to climb high places and take pictures of the surrounding scenery with her mobile phone. "Standing on a high place and looking around with green eyes, it feels very fulfilling."
Speaking of the trees in the protective forest, Wang Yabin, who was silent, also became more talkative: It took him a few days to dig out the seedlings where the seedlings were buried by a sandstorm; where a section of water pipe was eaten by animals, fortunately, it was discovered in time; when the trees germinated, how to fertilize and protect the seedlings and apply pesticides to prevent insects... Under the careful care of Wang Yabin and his wife, these seedlings have grown tall and strong, and are now deeply rooted and luxuriant.
Looking at the protective forest belt from afar, Wang Yabin looked at his own children and said with a simple smile: "What I am doing is something that will benefit thousands of generations. It is very glorious to be able to plant trees and protect forests in the desert."
The sun sets in the west, and the golden afterglow shines on the desert road. On both sides of the road, the Haloxylon ammodendron forest is swaying gently in the evening wind. After years of continuous afforestation, a protective forest belt more than 70 meters wide has been built along the Tarim Desert Highway, 20.8 million seedlings have been planted, and more than 20,000 kilometers of drip irrigation pipes have been laid. The green belt covers an area of 48,000 acres and can achieve carbon sequestration of 20,000 tons every year. It is precisely with the persistence and care of desert green keepers that tens of millions of plants can thrive. The protective forest is like a beautiful green streamer, lighting up the desolate desert with vitality and vitality and becoming a solid barrier for the Tarim Desert Highway., guarding this path of hope for exploration and development and the path to wealth for economic development in southern Xinjiang.
