A tunnel of the largest-scale water conservancy project in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region was recently connected, marking a major breakthrough in the project's construction.

The water conservancy project mainly includes water diversion from the Chuoer River in Hinggan League to the Xiliao River, providing water to cities and industrial parks along the route, and contributing to irrigation and power generation needs.

It is the largest water conservancy project in Inner Mongolia so far, with a total investment of 25.22 billion yuan ($3.78 billion) and a construction period of 56 months.

The total length of the project's water delivery line is 390.3 kilometers, of which the sections running through tunnels amount to 183 kilometers. 

Currently, the total length of connected tunnels is 9,174.04 meters, which was completed by China Railway 18th Bureau Group Co.

The project is designed for an average annual water transfer volume of 454 million cubic meters, which can provide 28.33 million cubic meters of irrigation water for agricultural areas along the route each year, directly benefiting approximately 1.13 million people.

The project's implementation can effectively alleviate the severe water shortage in the Xiliao River Basin in eastern Inner Mongolia. It will also promote the optimal allocation of water resources in Hinggan League and Tongliao and contribute to the sustainable economic and social development of border ethnic areas.