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Hubei residents set to move for S-to-N water project

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-15 10:29

WUHAN -- Central China's Hubei province is to have all immigrants sign relocation contracts this year in the area where the south-to-north water diversion project was launched, said local authorities in a plan on Sunday.

Related readings:  China earmarks $7.9 billion for water diversion project  China builds world's longest water diversion tunnel  City to relocate 27,000 for S-to-N water diversion  China to pump 21.3b yuan into water diversion program  China to speed up water diversion project in 2009

According to the plan, 50,000 immigrants shall be relocated by 2010, 30,000 more will be relocated by 2011 and 87,000 others, including 65,000 from the rural areas and 22,000 urban citizens, will move to their new homes by 2012, said Wang Yuanliang, head of the immigration bureau of the province.

Immigration from the Danjiangkou area is a necessary step for construction of the central route of the massive hydro project, which involved 330,000 people, including 180,000 from Hubei and 150,000 from Henan in central China.

Both province started relocation work in November 2008. Hubei has planned to relocate the first batch of 12,000 people by the end of September.

China's south-to-north diversion project is designed to divert water from the water-rich south of the country, mainly from the Yangtze, up to the dry north.

The huge project consists of eastern, central and western routes. The first two routes are already under construction, while the western channel is still at the planning stage.