Focus

Water diversion project moves tide of people

By Guo Rui (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-16 15:43

JINGMEN, Hubei - For 6-year-old Tan Huilin, the long journey was exciting, wondering what her new life would be like.

She was woken at 3:30 am on Wednesday and after six hours traveling, Tan and her family reached their new home.

As one of the thousands of people relocated to make way for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWD) in Hubei province, Tan Huilin's old house in Danjiangkou will be under water soon.

In order to support the project, many people have to abandon the place where their families have lived for generations. However, for many this may be not a bad choice.

"I really want to relocate," Wang Xinguo, 47, told China Daily, adding that most immigrants used to live in remote areas.

"The relocation made our village move from the mountain to the plain. The transportation is much more convenient than before," Wang added.

But aside from the easier transportation there is an even greater incentive for the younger generation like Tan Huilin.

"It is hard for the children in mountains to receive good education," Tan's grandfather, Tan Yifei, 55, said.

Tan's village was very remote and she could only accept education in a low-level primary school.

Now, Tan's new home, Shayang town, is a relatively affluent area and the teaching quality is much better than their previous village.

But for some old people the move is not so welcome.

Zen Guiyin, 67, said she was very sad about leaving her family's vegetable garden and various animals.

"But I cannot take them." Zen said with a sigh.

"It needs a process with mutual understanding for the locals and immigrants," said Shu Keqing, the deputy of an emigration village, Shujialing village.

In his village, 226 people have finished their move to Shayang county, Jingmen city.

Among these was Shu Keyun. He said he has moved seven times from 1950s up to now.

"The people in Danjiang river area are ready to move at any moment," said the 68-year-old man.

According to the Hubei Immigration Administration Bureau, this year's large-scale relocation and resettlement period will last from August 12 to September 30, involving 180,000 people in the Hubei reservoir area.

Henan has also launched a large-scale relocation scheme since June 2008. The total number of people resettled will eventually reach 150,000.

China's massive South-to-North Water Diversion Project is designed to transfer water from the water-rich south, mainly the Yangtze River, to the drought-prone north. It consists of three routes: the eastern, the central, and the western. Danjiang River area is included in the central route.

Water from the Danjiangkou reservoir, on the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River (a tributary of the Yangtze), will be channeled to Beijing, Tianjin and the provinces of Henan and Hebei. Construction on the central route began in 2003. The first phase was scheduled to be completed in 2010, but environmental concerns and resettlement issues have pushed the completion date to 2014.

China Daily