Jiangsu Government held an official meeting on Nov 13 to push forward the long-term regulation and maintenance of river courses in the province. The meeting pointed out that in 2014, Jiangsu is going to invest 10.7 billion yuan (US$1.75 billion) in water infrastructure projects in its rural areas, with priority given to the establishment of irrigation systems for minor farmlands, the treatment of small and middle-sized rivers with serious problems in some counties, the upgrading of middle- and large-sized irrigation areas and key counties, the cleaning up of river courses and the security of drinking water in rural areas.
In 2014, effective irrigated areas in Jiangsu will increase by 530,000 mu (35,333 hectares), farmlands with stable yields even in the case of droughts and floods by 1.06 million mu (0.07 million hectares), farmlands with water-saving irrigation systems by 2.09 million mu (0.14 million hectares), and flooded rice paddies newly transferred from upland rice paddies by 200,000 mu (13,333 hectares). It’s a policy to invest 10 percent of profits from land transfers into water infrastructure projects, and various regions shall strictly implement this policy, as urged at the meeting.
