The State Council 21.3 bln Yuan to be Invested for S-to-N Water Diversion in 200

The construction of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project will be accelerated this year on all fronts, according to the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Commission of the State Council.

Planned investment in the project will reach 21.3 billion yuan in 2009, including 6.5 billion yuan of investment from the central government, 2 billion yuan from the South-to-North Water Diversion Project funds and 12.8 billion yuan from bank loans. This year will witness the largest annual investment in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project since its inception.

In the third meeting of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project construction committee, the latest construction goals were set: the first phase of the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project will be finished and will start supplying water in 2013. The first phase of construction of the main portion of the middle route will be finished in 2013 and will start water supply following the 2014 flood season.

Zhang Jiyao, director of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Commission, said that the State Council's executive meeting had approved investment for the first phase of construction of the eastern route and for the feasibility study period of the middle route, a total of 254.6 billion yuan. The project will directly cause an increase in GDP of 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points annually, and will provide 500,000 to 600,000 more jobs every year.

By People's Daily Online