Giant pipeline brings unaffordable water to China’s north
February 6, 2014 Leave a comment
Giant pipeline brings unaffordable water to China’s north
Staff Reporter
2014-02-04
The eastern route of China’s South-North Water Diversion project officially began drawing and diverting water last November and December from the Yangtze River to 71 counties, cities and areas in Jiangsu, Shandong and Anhui provinces. The much-needed water comes, however, at a price many local officials find difficult to swallow.
Even though water prices have yet to be finalized, the preliminary estimate for the high fees has drawn negative comments from officials in Jiangsu and Shandong.
The water diversion project aims to provide water for 100 million people.
According to an estimate by the National Development and Reform Commission, the cost of diverted water from the Yangtze River is much more than existing local water fees in Jiangsu and Shandong.
Luo Hui, an official for the construction administration at the South-North Water Diversion project in Shandong, said that additional construction is required to connect the project to the water supply network of local cities, which would boost costs for end users. The China Economic Weekly reported that high water prices resulting from the water transfer project have also impacted the proportion of water transfer.
Luo explained that local governments are responsible for the additional construction investment and land collection, but they have been unable to deliver it due to limited financial ability. Moreover, after the eastern route’s construction was launched in 2002, Shandong’s water supply had been sufficient for over a decade. Additionally, the water usage charges from the project were higher than the local water supply.
A basic fee for the water is usually charged in addition to the amount of water a consumer uses, which means that even if people do not use the water from the project, they still have to pay a fixed amount of money.
The Weekly, citing several interviewees, said that if high expense of the water is not resolved, the Yangtze water from the South-North Water Diversion project might only serve as insurance for water supply during drought years, rather than a regular water supply system.
Luo suggested that the basic water fee be jointly borne by the central, provincial and local governments and that end users only pay for the water they consume. Moreover, he advised that incentives should be offered to users and that water management should be administered by the water supply department. A unified regional water fee should be established for water sources and in the meantime, affordability has to be considered while fixing prices.
About bambooinnovator
Bamboo Innovator 