Xiaolangdi hydel project gets nod

ZHENGZHOU: The Xiaolangdi Water-Control Project was officially hailed a success yesterday after eight years as a pilot operation. The project is the most difficult ever built on the world's muddiest natural waterway, the Yellow River.

The project, which would have to deal with heavy floods and high sedimentation for years, was ready for a safe run, a panel of experts and officials said. The check was co-sponsored by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Water Resources.

The project was completed in 2001 at a cost of 35.2 billion yuan ($5.1 billion), with over $1.1 billion loaned by the World Bank. Around 9.18 billion yuan went into rehabilitating the 200,000 displaced residents in 221 villages of Henan and Shanxi provinces. They were compensated as scheduled, Liu Yunjie, an official in charge of the settlement program, said.