Xi'an Ready to Relieve Shortage of WaterUpgrading the urban infrastructure and protecting the surrounding environment will be top priorities for the Xi'an municipal government during the next 30 years.Xi'an Mayor Feng Xuchu said a key aspect of the plan calls for 26 water conservancy projects that will cost a total of 8.2 billion yuan (US$987 million) in an effort to end the city's water shortage. Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is known for its Terra-cotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). But in recent years, it has also been known for its water shortages. In 1996, one-third of the city's residents did not have sufficient water to drink during one particularly long drought. Statistics show that the total recoverable reserves of underground water in Xi'an's urban and rural areas is only 1.55 billion cubic metres. But at present the amount of water needed is 1.77 cubic metres. In 1989, local government launched a project to draw water from Heihe River. The project brought water into the city in 1997 and local residents have had a larger water supply since then. "With major developments slated for western China under the strategic plan designed by the central government, more industries and more people will come in, and our urban infrastructures should be ready for this," Feng said. The planned projects include construction of urban water supplies, reservoirs, water-saving irrigation works, water and soil conservation and river realignment, Feng said. "When the 26 projects are completed, Xi'an's urban water supply and rural irrigation conditions will be significantly better, and the environment of the city will also be greatly improved," Feng said. Feng added that Xi'an will also carry out 150 other projects, including the construction of urban and inter-city roads, telecommunications and power-supply facilities this year, to further boost tourism and lure investors. |
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