Alone in nowhere
Inspectors battle high temperatures and frequent sandstorms as they monitor more than 300 pylons in China’s largest desert
Knocking his wrench on a power tower while standing alone in the middle of the vast Taklimakan Desert, Ahmat Tohti listens attentively to the sounds it makes.
Differences in the sound can tell Tohti — a power tower inspector in northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region — whether the bolts and screws are securely tightened.
Xinjiang is the country’s powerhouse, transmitting electricity to around 16 provinces and cities and serving 250 million people, according to official statistics.
An expansive network of transmission towers has been built across the cities, deserts and marshes of the region. Tohti and his seven colleagues are responsible for the safety of a sector in the Taklimakan, China’s largest desert.
During summer, when air temperatures can rise to 40 C and ground temperatures can exceed 70 C, their jobs become more challenging.
Tohti has been a tower inspector for 28 years and carries binoculars, a camera and a gear bag weighing around 4 kilograms on a normal trip. When he works in the desert he also brings naan bread and a 1-liter bottle of water.
“They add to the weight, but once you’re in the desert you never know when you will get out. It’s essential to bring food and water,” Tohti said.
In the sector Tohti inspects, State Grid Corp has built a 563-kilometer transmission line with 1,542 power towers, making it the world’s longest 220,000-volt transmission line.
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.”