Wednesday, August 02, 2000, updated at 21:07(GMT+8)
China
World Bank Loans for Shaanxi Water Project
Thirsty farmers in northwest China' s Shaanxi Province will have enough water for daily use and for their dried-up farmland when a water project funded by the World Bank is completed.
At present, 87 percent of the project, designed to divert water from the Yellow River, has been finished after ten years of construction, and it has already begun diverting water for irrigation, according to local sources.
Upon completion, the 1.436 billion yuan (173 million US dollars) project can water 60,000 hectares of farmland in the Hanyuan area to the north of Weihe River, and provide drinking water for some 300,000 people in the region. The project can bring about an economic benefit of 700 million yuan annually.
The trial use of the project has irrigated some 2,000 hectares of farmland.
Thirsty farmers in northwest China' s Shaanxi Province will have enough water for daily use and for their dried-up farmland when a water project funded by the World Bank is completed.