Wen, who is head of China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, made the call during his inspection of the drought situation in east China's Shandong Province from June 8 to 9.

At a meeting of drought relief heads on Sunday in Jinan, provincial capital of Shandong, Wen said that many regions in the country have suffered from the most serious drought in decades, which has resulted in heavy losses to industrial and agricultural production and the people's lives there.

Wen stressed that water saving measure are very important for the current drought relief efforts, water resources should be managed in an all-round way, and water supply for people's daily life must be put before that for production.

He pointed out that the availability of water in urban areas should be ensured. A quota system must be applied to control the use of water in drought stricken areas. Water usage exceeding the quota should be charged at higher water rate, and people who waste water should be punished seriously.

More sewage treatment facilities should be built in cities, and urban afforestation and industrial production should use recycled waste water, the vice-premier said. Water saving technology should be advocated in urban areas, while reserve water resources should be used to increase water supply for drought stricken cities.

The State Council and related departments are considering contingency plans for water supply for cities in acute shortage of water, including Tianjin, Yantai, Weihai, Dalian, Changchun and Tangshan, he said.

To guarantee enough drinking water for rural areas, Wen called for effective measures to explore new water sources, build water supply projects, and make the best use of the existing water- supply system.

In places suffering from acute water shortages, all sorts of facilities should be built to store rainfall, he said.

While urging the local governments to do a good job in fighting against droughts, the vice-premier also called on drought-relief organizations to play a role, demanding they be immediately equipped with water tanks and other necessary facilities so that they can bring drinking water to local people.

Wen stressed that efforts must be made to ensure normal industrial and agricultural production and keep the people's life from being affected by short of water in the disaster-stricken areas.

Noting it is the season for summer harvest and sowing, the vice-premier called on the drought-hit areas in the north to develop dry-land cultivation and popularize water-saving irrigation.

In the industrial sector, he pointed out, priority should also be given to water saving. Enterprises that consume huge amount of water and cause serious pollution should be closed down, while those that use less water, produce less pollution and perform well should be supported.

(People's Daily 06/11/2001)