XI'AN - The construction of a massive reservoir capable of holding 3.06 billion cubic meters of water kicked off on Sunday in Northwest China's parched Shaanxi province.

The reservoir, part of the Jinghe River Dongzhuang water control project, will cost 12 billion yuan ($1.9 billion). It is expected to be completed within eight years, according to the provincial water resources department.

The reservoir, with a 230-meter-high arch dam, is the largest reservoir in the province in terms of storage capacity and dam height.

It will also provide more than 500 million cubic meters of water to neighboring cities.

A 90,000-kilowatt power generation system, which will produce 330 million kilowatt hours annually, is also included in the project.

The 451-km-long Jinghe River is the largest tributary of the Weihe River, the largest tributary of the Yellow River. The reservoir is located 100 km from the provincial capital Xi'an.