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Relocating progress

The top of the Danjiangkou Reservoir is being constructed, and now the height of the reservoir has reached 176.6 meters from 152 meters. [China.org.cn]

The project's completion had been postponed to 2014 from the originally scheduled 2010, primarily due to the enormous task of relocating about 330,000 people in Hubei and Henan provinces. It's the second largest relocation effort after the Three Gorges Dam Project and means a huge challenge for the two provinces, where poverty and population issues already take their toll.

Hubei must relocate 180,000 people. About 100,000 can be relocated a relatively short distance from their hometowns, but 80,000 will have to move hundreds of kilometers away, said Tian Chengzhong, vice governor of the province.

He added that so far Hubei has relocated about 12,000 people and successfully finished the preparation work for the remaining 68,000. The government promises to complete the relocation by August 31.

Xu Shifang, deputy director of immigration office in Hubei, said the issue intensified earlier this year when Henan Province finished the exploratory work and began large-scale resettlement.

Xiangfan, an ancient city in north of Hubei, will absorb over 21,000 migrants.

Guo Xiuyuan, the chief of Xiangfan immigration office, said the local government set up a migrant committee to help the newcomers get familiar with the area and also hold career training for them.

"Every village has a primary school and is close to a hospital," Guo said. "We considered all the facts before we choose how to align the incoming residents," he said.

However, Xiangfan also has a dilemma. Being positioned along the middle of the Hanjiang River and a neighbor to Danjiangkou City won't affect its water quality, but its fishing industry is shrinking and there's damage to the river's ecosystem. Vice Mayor Li Yuehua says the city hasn't received adequate funding from the central government for pollution treatment and environmental protection.

"We have taken certain measures to reduce the impact, and we'd like to contribute to China's grand water project, but we hope the central government will consider Xiangfan's needs too," Li said.

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