SANSHA - Authorities with the newly established city of Sansha, located in the South China Sea, on Saturday began mapping out development plans for four infrastructure projects and started a housing program as the building of the island city revs up.

The infrastructure projects include road construction, water supply and drainage on Yongxing Island, where the city government is seated.

According to the plan, seven roads with a total length of five kilometers will be repaired or built to improve the island's traffic situation.

Meanwhile, a desalinator capable of processing 1,000 cubic meters of seawater a day will be built on the island to ensure fresh water supplies.

The projects also include the construction of inter-island transportation and a dock, as well as the development of Zhaoshu Island.

On Saturday, Mayor of Sansha Xiao Jie announced the beginning of a housing construction program with a total investment of 18.7 million yuan ($2.97 million).

Sansha was officially set up on July 24 on Yongxing Island to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea.

Over the past two months, the government has been working to build the island into a city of harmony between human and nature, said Zhang Geng, executive vice mayor of Sansha.