BEIJING -- A major ecological water protection project in the Yellow River basin broke ground on Monday along the Fanshui River in Fanxian county of Central China's Henan province, the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) said.

The project aims to improve the ecological environment of the Fanshui River and boost its flood control capacity, according to the CRCC, a state-owned construction and engineering company.

The project adopted the model of public-private partnership (PPP), involving 1.68 billion yuan ($239.57 million) in investment.

The PPP partnership for the project will last for 15 years, including two years of construction and 13 years of operation, according to the CRCC.