Huang Bangquan: Xingren needs a reservoir to ensure water supply

Huang Bangquan (R) discusses with other CPPCC members about the construction of Xingren's reservoir. [Photo/ddcpc.cn]

Xingren city in Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, Southwest China's Guizhou province, is the central city in the province's border region with Yunnan and Guangxi.

Xingren covers 1,785 square kilometers with a total population of 580,000 people, including 16 ethnic groups. In recent years, Xingren has maintained high-speed economic development and achieved 19.16 billion yuan ($2.94 billion) of GDP in 2020, ranking 29th among Guizhou's 88 counties and cities.

Despite the current water conservancy infrastructure, Xingren faces seasonal water shortages and a lack of water conservancy projects.

To solve the problem, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Huang Bangquan, who is also the vice-chairman of the Qianxinan Prefecture Committee of the CPPCC, proposed at this year's two sessions that Xingren needs to build its own reservoir.

According to Huang, a reservoir in Xingren could alleviate flooding, reduce natural disasters, allocate water resources, guarantee water safety, and protect the aquatic environment in the Pearl River's upper reaches.

Once constructed, the reservoir could provide 46.6 million cubic meters of water to meet the irrigation needs of 130,000 mu (8,666.67 hectares) of cultivated lands in seven townships and towns, as well as provide 50 million cu m of water for Xingren's industrial parks.

The reservoir could also improve the environment in the upper reaches of the Pearl River and create a 20-sq-km wetland at the source of the Beipan River.

Huang's suggestion was the result of a reservoir feasibility research assessment that was launched in May 2016. According to the evaluation, the reservoir could achieve remarkable social and environmental benefits.