A critically important tunnel beneath the Yellow River was completed recently for the construction of the central route of the giant South-to-North Water Transfer Project, which will supply thirsty cities and industries in the country’s northern cities.
Dubbed the “throat” of the central route, the 4250-meter-long, 7-meter-wide each (13,944-feet-long, 21-feet-wide) dual tunnels will help transfer 14.8 billion cubic meters (3.9 trillion gallons) of water a year from the tributary of Yangtze River Basin to the parched northern provinces of Hebei, as well as to the Tianjin and Beijing Municipalities by 2013.
The $US 97 million tunnel is the latest chapter in this landmark national infrastructure project — known as the South-to-North Water Transfer Project - which plans to eventually divert 44.8 billion cubic meters (11.8 trillion gallons) of water annually from the Yangtze through eastern, central, and western routes to relieve acute water shortages in northern China by 2050.
The water transfer idea was first conceived by former Chinese leader Zedong Mao in 1952, and was finally approved by the country’s Cabinet in December 2002, after debates that lasted nearly half a century. The mega-project, with an estimated total cost of $US 62 billion, has generated a strong current of public concern over land use, water pricing, possible regional climate changes, environmental damage, impact on agriculture, and massive human relocation.
Further reading about South-to-North Water Transfer Project, please visit: http://www.nsbd.gov.cn/zx/english/
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