Officials speeding up relocating process for water project
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During the 2009 sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, then-secretary Xu Guangchun of Henan's provincial Party committee and Henan Governor Guo Gengmao made a plan: complete the South-to-North Water Diversion Project within two years.
But this was after the project had been delayed. Originally scheduled for completion in 2010, the central water line, one of project's three, kept running into complications with relocating efforts and environmental challenges. Finally, the government announced it wouldn't be finished until 2014. Now Henan officials want all the residents moved out by April 2011.
Officials sped up their plans after residents in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Area demanded to be moved as soon as possible.
The pilot test group of migrants was relocated by August 2009, a month ahead of schedule. Now, Henan is in the process of moving the first group of 64,900 migrants, which is expected to be completed by August. The second group, with 86,100 people, will begin moving in May and won't finish until next April.
As of now, 162,000 people need to be moved out of Zhechuan County in Nanyang to be settled in 25 counties of six cities. By contrast, it took 17 years to move 300,000 people for the Three Gorges Dam project and 13 years to move 200,000 people for the Xiaolandi project.
Hubei Province is even more ambitious, trying to move its residents out by August. Officials warn of unexpected events that might occur during the migration.
Each migrant from Hubei will receive 9 acres of land, which may not be enough for the settlers.
"Moving out of their old places may mean poverty," said Wang Jianjun, director of Poverty Alleviation Office in Shiyan, Hubei.
But Henan migrants will have even less land, 8 acres of land or 6 acres of paddy field, because of its larger population.
About 99,000 Henan villagers will be relocated to Nanyang, and city officials are wary of the problems they might cause. The land, which belongs to local farmers, will have to be redistributed. Moreover, migrants may not be able to afford the city's higher living costs.
Henan plans to distribute fertile land to the migrants and build a new village for them as an example of new socialism in the countryside, as well as create more jobs.
