BEIJING, Dec. 8 -- China's top leaders on Sunday welcomed major progress at the south-to-north water diversion project and called for further efforts to ensure the success of following construction work.

The project, one of the country's largest infrastructure schemes, is designed to take water from the south to drought-prone areas in the north, including Beijing. Water will flow northward via three routes -- eastern, middle and western.

The first-stage of the eastern route, with an investment of over 50 billion yuan (8.2 billion U.S. dollars), has recently started to supply water to the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui and Shandong.

While congratulating on the progress, Chinese President Xi Jinping asked related personnel to learn from the experience for the smooth running of following tasks.

"We should strengthen management and keep working to ensure steady progress on the project and stable water quality," Xi instructed.

Premier Li Keqiang and vice premier Zhang Gaoli who is also head of the project's construction committee, stressed the importance of following work, including ensuring water quality, protecting environment and avoiding safety issues, to fully tap the economic and social benefits.

Major work on the first-stage construction of the middle route is expected for completion at the year end.