Construction began on Tuesday for Niululing Reservoir Irrigation Area Project, one of the six major irrigation areas that China focuses on building this year, in south China's Hainan Province, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

The project takes Niululing Reservoir as one of the main water sources and combines it with 241 large, medium and small water conservancy projects in the irrigation area, forming a large-scale irrigation area system.

With a total investment of 3.06 billion yuan (around $438 million), it will be able to irrigate 570,000 mu (38,000 hectares) of farmland in Qionghai and Wanning cities within the province besides meeting residential and industrial water demand of 21 towns.

The project will be constructed in 50 months, and it will become the fourth large-scale irrigation area in the province.

Other three of the six new large-scale irrigation areas that the country has identified as the key projects to establish this year started before August 15, according to a report by People's Daily.

China has increased its construction of farmland irrigation projects, with 7,330 large and medium-sized irrigation areas commissioned, the ministry said on Tuesday.