March 1, 2025 marks the official opening of the Dongjiang Shenzhen Water Supply Project (referred to as the "Dongshen Water Supply Project") and the 60th anniversary of Guangdong's water supply to Hong Kong. The reporter learned from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources that in the past 60 years, the cumulative water supply of this project has reached 67.1 billion cubic meters, of which 30 billion cubic meters are supplied to Hong Kong, accounting for nearly 80% of the total freshwater consumption in Hong Kong. The Dongshen Water Supply Project is a large-scale cross basin water diversion project built by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to solve the drinking water difficulties of Hong Kong compatriots. In the 1960s, tens of thousands of builders from the Pearl River Delta region completed a massive 83 kilometer water supply project in just one year. From the 1970s to 2003, the project underwent four major expansions and renovations. From 2020 to early 2022, the Dongjiang River Basin experienced consecutive severe droughts. Guangdong has implemented measures such as scientific and precise scheduling, tapping into water supply potential, and comprehensive water conservation to fully meet Hong Kong's water demand. During the three-year drought period, the annual water supply to Hong Kong exceeded 800 million cubic meters, reaching a historic high. Since the opening of water supply, Guangdong and Hong Kong have maintained good cooperation, adhering to the principles of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. The two sides have signed 13 water supply agreements. Guangdong has successively promoted the introduction of a series of laws and regulations, such as the "Guangdong Province Dongjiang River Basin Water Resource Allocation Plan", "Guangdong Province Dongjiang Water Quantity Dispatch Management Measures", and "Dongshen Water Supply Project Water Quality Safety Guarantee and Emergency Response Plan", to comprehensively protect Dongjiang water. The overall water quality of Dongjiang main stream, important water sources, and 20 monitoring reservoirs (lakes) is stable and meets the standards. The Water Resources Department of Guangdong Province has established a Water Dispatch Management Office to be responsible for the management of water supply to Hong Kong, and a Provincial Dongjiang River Basin Management Bureau to coordinate the water resources departments and operation management departments of various cities to ensure the safety of water supply to Hong Kong. Guangdong Guangdong Hong Kong Water Supply Co., Ltd. is authorized by the provincial government to be responsible for project operation and management. The relevant person in charge of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources introduced that in order to ensure "stable water supply, safe water supply, and high-quality water supply" to Hong Kong, Guangdong continues to make efforts in legislative protection, strengthening institutional strength, water quality protection, high standard management, scientific scheduling, and other aspects. It has established a multimodal and multi-dimensional "perception system" covering "sky, air, land, and water", providing real-time "escort" for projects and further ensuring water supply safety. (New Society)