People living in Xichuan County, central China's Henan Province, are ready for a second migration for China's huge water diversion project.

China's south-to-north water diversion project, to bring relief to China's drought-ridden north by diverting water from the Yangtze River, is another mammoth water conservancy scheme larger even than the Three Gorges Project.

Such a massive project requires long-time preparation work. As a first step, the Chinese government in the 1950s built a vast reservoir 1,000 kilometers from Beijing, which led to the migration of some local people. Today some of them and their offspring will leave their home again for the water diversion project.

In some places where no large construction projects have been allowed for years, the local economy has been growing and the soil erosion problem has become more serious.

The Chinese government set comprehensive plans for the improvement of river drainage areas and implemented them decisively.

The linchpin of the huge water diversion project lies in the water quality of the waterhead areas, experts said, still expressing concern over the environmental protection of the waterhead area. They said more investment should be put into water and soil conservation work in water source zones.
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(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2003)