The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources has pledged to devote 10
years to ensuring that 300 million rural residents, mainly those in
the western region, have clean water to drink.
In the picture taken on August 21, 2005
Miao ethnic minority children in the Zhangjiazhai Village of south
China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region enjoy clean
drinking water.
"The state has increased investment in the project, which we
hope will get at least 30 million rural people out of the danger of
unhealthy drinking water every year," Minister Wang Shucheng told
Xinhua Saturday.
The central government will invest 32 billion yuan (about US$4
billion) in the clean water supply project during the 2006-2010
period, the minister said.
Last year, the central government set aside 6 billion yuan to
provide safe drinking water to nearly 29 million farmers.
By the end of 2004, there were still 323 million rural people
who had to drink unclean or unhealthy water, accounting for 34
percent of the country's total rural population, statistics from
the ministry showed.
Wang said while speeding up water supply projects, the Ministry
of Water Resources will also cooperate closely with the State
Environmental Protection Administration to prevent water pollution
in rural areas.
Contaminated underground water, bitter salty water, and water
polluted by excessive fluorine and arsenic are three major threats
to the health of rural Chinese.
(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2007)
