China's giant South-to-North Water Diversion Project is to begin
supplying water to Beijing in 2008, to help alleviate water
shortage in this arid northern city.
Water at the Yangtze River will be diverted to Beijing through
the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in
early 2008, Li Guoying, head of the Yellow River Conservancy
Committee under the Ministry of Water Resources, said Tuesday at a
press conference.
The Chinese government approved the South-to-North Water
Diversion Project in 2002, aiming to relieve severe water shortages
in parched northern areas. The project will divert water from the
Yangtze River, China's biggest river, to the north through the
eastern, middle and western routes. Currently, the eastern and
middle routes of the project, with total investment of 200 billion
yuan, are under construction.
The eastern route of the project will divert water from the
lower reaches of the Yellow River to north China's Tianjin
Municipality and the middle route will carry water from the Yangtze
to Beijing, and the western route, not yet in construction, is
expected to draw water from the upper reaches of Yangtze to thirsty
northwestern areas.
(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2006)
