By 2010, Beijing residents may start getting their water from the Yangtze River.

China's largest water diversion project may start supplying water to Shandong Province by 2007 and Beijing by 2010, an official confirmed Tuesday.

The worsening water shortage in the two areas, caused by decades of drought, may be alleviated with water from the mighty Yangtze River in the South which will be diverted into the parched North, he said.

The water diversion project consists of three 1,300-kilometre canals that will carry water from the Yangtze along the eastern, middle and western parts of the country.

Zhang Jiyao, director of the State Council's office in charge of the South-to-North Project, told a national conference that ground will be broken in more places along two of the lines of the ambitious water diversion scheme, the largest of its kind in the world.

Before next year's flood season, construction of four new sections along the two lines will push the project further along the fast track.

That would bring the total sections under construction to 13, since construction started in 2002 with an estimated investment of 124 billion yuan (about US$15 billion).

When finished, the two water diversion canals will be capable of transferring 13.4 billion cubic metres of water a year.

Zhang urged local governments to control water pollution along the eastern line and protect water resources along the middle line, two formidable issues that may endanger the massive project.

"Water security on the eastern line, plagued by many chronic sources of contamination , is vital to the diversion project," Zhang said, calling for a "clean water corridor"."

Local governments are required to ensure the water in their section meets minimum drinking standards by 2007.

China has launched 260 projects to curb water pollution along the eastern line of the water-diversion scheme.

Hundreds and possibly thousands of polluting enterprises along the eastern line will be forced to close if they fail to meet standards within five years, environmental experts said.

Another problem is cost. To date the project is in the red.

Zhang said actual costs of the first phase along the two lines have been exceed estimates and hit 21.7 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) over budget so far.

In this year alone, the central government earmarked 10.2 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) for construction and raised the rest through bank loans.

To find a stable source of funds, Zhang said next year, the "central government will begin to raise a special funds."

Under the existing investment policy set for the project, the central government will pay 30 per cent for the total cost with 40 per cent of the money to be provided through bank loans.

The remaining 25 per cent will come from provinces that will benefit.

(China Daily)

parched: dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight（炎熱的）

contamination: the state of being contaminated（污染）