As of March 24, media reports indicate that the cumulative water diversion of the South-North Water Transfer Project's east and central routes phase one has exceeded 70 billion cubic meters. This monumental effort has benefited over 40 large and medium-sized cities across 7 provinces and municipalities along its path, impacting more than 176 million people.

Specifically, the phase one central route has contributed a staggering 625.93 billion cubic meters of diverted water, while the phase one eastern route has supplied 67.77 billion cubic meters. Additionally, the northern extension of the eastern route has achieved a water diversion of 6.30 billion cubic meters.

These three major projects form a crucial component of the South-North Water Transfer Project, providing a continuous supply of water resources to the northern regions.

Since the full operation in 2014, the Ministry of Water Resources has meticulously managed and strictly monitored the Phase I project of the South-to-North Water Diversion's eastern and central routes, ensuring the safety of the project, water supply, and water quality.

In particular, the water quality of the central route has consistently met or exceeded the Class II surface water standard, and the eastern route has consistently achieved Class III quality. This highlights China's exceptional capabilities in water project management and water quality protection.

The South-North Water Transfer Project plays a crucial role in the water supply for cities in the north. In Beijing, water from the south accounts for over 70% of the urban water supply; in Tianjin, it nearly covers the entire main urban area's water supply; in Zhengzhou and Shijiazhuang, the figures reach 90% and over 75% for the central urban areas, respectively.

Moreover, the project has significantly supported the revival of river and lake ecosystems and the comprehensive management of over-extraction of groundwater in the North China region.

The first phase of the middle route project has provided nearly 10 billion cubic meters of ecological water replenishment to more than 50 rivers in the north, leading to noticeable improvements in a large number of river and lake ecosystems. The area of Baiyangdian Lake has expanded, the Yongding River has achieved full-flow conditions after many years, and the shallow groundwater levels in the North China region have risen for the first time after years of decline.

Especially in Beijing's plain area, the groundwater level has been rising for eight consecutive years, with a total increase of 10.64 meters. The ecological environment around lakes along the first phase of the eastern route has also improved continuously, with a significant increase in water area due to ecological water replenishment.