China: Provincial Administration Delegation Inspects Water Project for Tobacco Production

Source from:  Qujing Tobacco Monopoly Administration 01/29/2013

A nine-member delegation from Yunnan Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Administration in southwest China’s tobacco-producing Yunnan Province, led by the administration’s Water Source Office Director Zhuang Zhaoze and Communist Party Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary and Trade Union Chairman Xie Yingguai, traveled to Malong County in Qujing City of the province to inspect the construction of a water source project for tobacco production there on January 20.

The water source project, known as the Minor Natural Dam Reservoir in Nazhang Township of Malong County, is designed to facilitate the production of leaf tobacco which is the main cash crop in Malong County.

During the inspection, the delegation mainly checked preparation for the construction of the Minor Natural Dam Reservoir in the early stage of the project.

Accompanying the delegation during the inspection were Executive Deputy Chief Li Shiqiao of the Malong County government, Manager Zhu Shuliang and Deputy Director Li Xuejun of Malong County Tobacco Subcompany, and Deputy Director Yang Sipei and a number of desiging engineers of Malong County Water Supplies Bureau.

The Minor Natural Dam Reservoir is a small-sized Category I irrigation project mainly intended for safe supply of drinking water for rural areas and for comprehensive utilization of agricultural irrigation in the vicinity.

With a designed water storage capacity of 1.107 million cubic meters and an inactive water storage capacity of 81,000 cubic meters, the Minor Natural Dam Reservoir is designed to supply 879,000 cubic meters of water annually – 44,800 cubic meters for drinking water supply for both rural residents and animals and 834,200 cubic meters for agricultural irrigation. In dry seasons, the Minor Natural Dam Reservoir will also be used for supplying 94,800 cubic meters of water for ecological water use in downstream rivers. The total investment in the project is estimated at 46.4449 million yuan (7.38 million U.S. dollars).

After its construction is completed, the Minor Natural Dam Reservoir will contribute to solving the three major problems of flooding in rainy seasons in the irrigation area, water supply shortage in dry seasons and water ecological environment deterioration. It will irrigate cultivated farmland in the lower reaches to the tune of 2,022.68 mu (135 hectares) and supply drinking water for 1,256 local residents.

Therefore, the construction of the project will significantly ease the problem of water supply shortage in the Minor Natural Dam irrigation area, gradually raise the standards for water use for both local residents and animals, raise the efficiency of irrigation and promote development of the local economy. Enditem