Dharamsala:  The stability of the Potala Palace is being threatened by the eruption of flood resulting from a digging work being carried out for building a pedestrian tunnel nearby, reported Radio Free Asia online (RFA, Washington) Mar 12. “Land caved in and roads sank,” the report quoted a source in Lhasa as saying Mar 8.

The report said that following the flooding at the excavation site the water level in the area fell, and many plants dried up. “Even huge trees in Lukhang Public Park, not very far from the work site, dried and fell down,” the report cited the source as saying.

China is to at least double the amount of investment in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) during its 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), reported China’s online Tibet news service eng.tibet.cn Mar 12. The plan was still being drawn up but the amount will be 30 billion yuan or more, the report cited Sita, vice minister of the United Front Work Department, as saying.