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Greening project approved
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A HUGE comprehensive management project to rehabilitate the Tarim River valley, a desert region in the southern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was given the green light on Thursday by the State Council.
At a work meeting of the State Council on Friday, Premier Zhu Rongji heard the report on the project by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Xinjiang Government.
The project is vital to restore green corridor in south Xinjiang and maintain sustainable social and economic development in the region, the meeting said.
The Tarim is the largest continental river in the country. Its valley covers 1.02 million sq km of south Xinjiang and a population of 8.26 million, accounting for 61 per cent and 47 per cent of Xinjiang respectively.
The valley is also an important cotton and petrochemical base of the country.
Dry weather and unreasonable use of water and land resources led to unfettered worsening of fragile eco-system in the valley, with stream and lakes drying, woods dying and desertification enlarging.
The deteriorated eco-system restricts Xinjiang's social and economic development, and also posed threat to environment of larger region of northwest China.
After the whole project taken into effect, natural vegetation in the valley will be improved in an area of 1.3 million ha and about 350 million cubic metre water will flow into the Taitema Lake in the lower reach of the river, according to the project.
The premier hoped that the project will be completed in 2005, when the eco-system in the valley is expected to be basically restored.(Xinhua)
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