NW China Builds Irrigation Project with WB LoansShaanxi Province, an arid area in northwest China, is expected to turn 60,000 hectares of dry land into irrigated fields when a World Bank-funded project is completed.The project involves an investment of 1.43 billion yuan (US$150 million), including a US$57.7 million of loan offered by the World Bank. At present, construction of three pump stations, a 130-km-long canal and a 5-km-long tunnel is winding up. During a recent test operation, 1,066 ha of land were watered. When fully operational in October, the irrigation project is to bring adequate water to 60,000 ha of dry land and provide clean drinking water for 300,000 people. It will yield an estimated added-value of 700 million yuan (US$84.34 million) annually, said a local government official. |
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