A 10-kilometer green corridor is being built in Jiaozuo, Henan province, to ensure water quality in the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

The project carries 9.5 billion cubic meters of water a year through canals and pipes from the Danjiangkou Reservoir in Hubei province to Henan and Hebei provinces, Tianjin and Beijing.

The central route has pumped 2.6 billion cu m to Beijing, which has benefited more than 11 million people, according to the project office.

Jiaozuo, as the only city along the route, has a significant role to play in the corridor construction, said Wang Xiaoping, the city's Party chief.

Wang said it is not only an ecological project to ensure water quality, but also affects people's livelihoods in Jiaozuo.

"Jiaozuo was known for its heavy industry, such as coal, and the construction of the green corridor marks a new step for this resource-based city," said Vice-Mayor Wei Chaojie.

However, with 18,000 residents affected over an area of 1.76 square kilometers, the project was shelved for eight years, Wei said.

In March, the city government arranged for more than 3,000 civil servants to help villagers move. All the people involved were moved to high-rise buildings within four months.

Wang Youyun, 56, said his new home, which has central heating, feels much better than his old village house.

He said he was reluctant to move, but there is a kindergarten near the new home and it is convenient for his grandson.

"I'd like to take my grandson to see the green corridor when the project is finished," he added.