BEIJING - Underground water extraction will be halted by 2014 in the urban areas of Beijing as authorities seek to prevent further land subsidence, or sinking, in the city.

The 800 water extraction wells within the fifth ring road areas in 2012 will be closed as part of an effort to conserve underground water, Yu Yaping, a publicity official at the Beijing Water Authority, said.

The North-South Water Diversion Project will bring 1 billion cubic meters of water supply to Beijing in 2014. The water could satisfy one-third of the total water demand in Beijing, which was 3.6 billion cubic meters in 2011.