The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region sank 5,000 wells in the first seven months of this year and 13,000 last year, thus making tremendous headway in tapping its ground water resources.

Xinjiang is one of the most arid places in China. The rivers which are fed in the spring by melting snow from the Tianshan Mountains dry up by May. Since irrigation mainly depends on this water, many places experience drought during the crucial May growing period, and farm production may be badly affected.

In 1973, the autonomous region tackled the problem by utilizing its ground water resources. Now 33,000 wells, most of which are power-operated, draw 3,000 million cubic metres of ground water each year, thereby bringing 220,000 hectares of farmland under irrigation and providing drinking water for 2.7 million head of domestic animals.

Recent surveys indicate that more ground water can be tapped. According to recent estimates, 18,500 million cubic metres of ground water can be pumped up every year.