Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 793 - 22

The rumors between Perfikot and the Royal Family were just a minor episode. Whether for the Royal Family or Perfikot, what was more important was how to carry out post-disaster reconstruction and help the Northern Territory recover from the blizzard's impact.

This was not an easy task.

The destruction brought by this white disaster was unprecedented. Almost all transportation in the Northern Territory was severely affected, with all railways halted during the raging blizzard, and the Flying Airships unable to fly. The impact and loss this brought to the Northern Territory were immeasurable.

Many settlements in the Northern Territory were entirely dependent on external inputs to maintain normal operations. Once transportation was cut off and external inputs interrupted, they could easily teeter on the brink of collapse.

This is why Perfikot dispatched people to relocate the remote settlements after the weather controllers began operating.

Keeping them would only lead them to collapse in this storm, ultimately causing the people living there to all die.

For this reason, when the blizzard subsided, both the Northern Territory and the Cabinet mobilized forces at the first opportunity to restore transportation.

This was not an easy task, or rather, it was fraught with difficulties from the start.

The snow accumulation brought by the blizzard was several meters deep, and it was almost impossible to clear the snow completely.

Even though Perfikot and the Cabinet sent Steam Knights and various autonomous robots to participate in the cleaning work, they still found it challenging to clear the piled-up snow.

Some even suggested that instead of shoveling all the snow away, it might be quicker to directly dig tunnels within the snow.

This suggestion was adopted to a limited extent, used in areas where snow accumulation was severe and there was no significant traffic demand. Some streets opted to carve a path within the snow, significantly reducing the difficulty and workload of clearing.

The cleared snow was piled onto the uncleared snow, making it thicker while also making it more solid.

To prevent the excavated tunnels from collapsing under the weight of the snow, some people poured water inside the tunnels to freeze the walls, thereby increasing their strength.

Although the tunnels excavated like this were difficult to describe as particularly strong, they solved the urgent need at present.

After all, if everything were to be cleared, the workload would be too large. This way, temporary transportation channels could be opened, saving a lot of time and manpower.

However, major transportation routes like railways could not be handled this way, as even solid ice could not support large-span caverns.

But if they were to be strengthened, the workload would be no smaller than removing all the snow.

Therefore, in the end, large-scale snow removal work was still necessary for the main transportation routes.

For this purpose, Perfikot had to mobilize the entire population of Chernobyl, with everyone conscripted into the work.

The army and Steam Knights were responsible for leading large autonomous robots to clear those transportation arteries.

Thanks to Perfikot setting up many towns along the railway lines, these towns proved to be invaluable at this time.

They served as important supply nodes and markers for the construction teams' rapid work and were also vital starting points for dispatching construction teams. Some machinery and manpower could be transported to these towns via Flying Airship and then start work from these towns along the railway in other directions.

This approach undoubtedly allowed for faster completion than working from a single direction, making it possible to more efficiently clear all roads.

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"Migrate what can be migrated, and abolish what can be abolished in the settlements around the Old Ravine. This blizzard exposed many survival issues in this area. If we want to maintain the operation of the settlements here, we would at least need to build another railway across this ravine, which would be a massive investment." Perfikot said, looking at the map of population distribution in the Northern Territory in front of her, discussing plans for adjusting and abolishing settlements with the official beside her.

"Yes, Lord, but where should these relocated populations be assigned? Is it to be nearby, or..." The official noted down Perfikot's orders while also inquiring about her further arrangements.

Perfikot thought for a moment and said, "Relocate the young and able-bodied to Chernobyl, as I will need a large workforce for new projects later. As for the elderly and weak, settle them nearby."

As for the resources around these abolished settlements that have been surveyed, compile them and give me a new development plan.

These resources are the wealth of the Northern Territory and cannot be squandered or wasted; some should be reserved, and others should be developed and utilized more appropriately."

"Yes, Lord." The officials all bowed in agreement and devoted themselves more earnestly to the settlement adjustment plan.

Although Perfikot had previously adjusted some settlement issues, that was only an emergency measure during the snow disaster.

After the blizzard passed, when the disaster situation from all areas was summarized, the situation was far worse than expected.

Even Perfikot had to admit that the development of the Northern Territory in recent years had exceeded her expectations, and the construction of settlements was far more numerous than she initially planned.

This itself was certainly not a problem, as more settlements also meant a larger population, allowing various resources to be developed more efficiently and providing more favorable development for Northern Territory's construction.

But this also brought a problem: not all settlements considered their location, surrounding resources, and other factors during initial construction.

This led to many settlements being quite 'remote,' away from the main railway lines, Flying Airship patrol routes, and even far from major towns.

Perfikot understood this situation. After all, the good locations had pre-planned settlements, and newcomers wanting a piece of land had to develop in more remote areas.

Additionally, many indigenous people of the Northern Territory still did not like the Empire. Although they submitted to Perfikot, they still chose to live far from the Imperial people to maintain their unique culture and lifestyle.

Some even resisted the Northern Territory building railways to their settlements and only accepted the visits of regular patrol caravans.

This has its pros and cons. The advantage, of course, is the preservation of the local indigenous traditional culture and the development of resources in remote areas. However, the disadvantage is also obvious.

These places have inconvenient transportation and relatively scarce materials. Although some resources are developed, their extraction capacity is limited, and many resources cannot be effectively developed.

Therefore, Perfikot needed to make adjustments to various issues, ensuring that the Northern Territory could recover from the previous disaster while also preparing for her future plans.