Power tower team tackles Taklimakan

Tohti and his colleagues inspect 865 towers.

More than 300 are set deep in the desert, with no road access, so they need to travel on foot.

It takes the team a week to finish the inspection, with each member walking more than 10 km and inspecting dozens of towers each day.

The distance from one tower to another is usually around 500 meters, and the walk consumes the most energy and time, Tohti said.

Years of experience have taught him a lot about the desert. "You can walk faster on the top of the sand dune and should never walk on the lee side," Tohti said.

Standing below a tower, Tohti uses his binoculars to find the insulators, clamps and electricity fittings, which need to be carefully examined.

The heat and strong sunshine make it painful to look up for a long time. Tohti also has to ration his water and takes only small sips.

To escape the hottest part of the day, the team starts working as soon as the sun comes up and takes a break from 11 am to 5 pm. After 5 pm, they continue working until 9 pm.

Inspections usually take place once a month, but additional inspections are required during severe weather conditions.

The Taklimakan experiences sandstorms on more than 100 days a year, and Tohti said he has seen too many to count.

"We wrap ourselves in our clothes, hold on tight to the tower base, and wait for the storm to pass," he said. "Sometimes we have to evacuate by following the transmission line, otherwise it's very easy to get lost."

Xinhua