China will provide another 20 million people in its rural areas with safe drinking water by the end of 2006, according to an annual plan for building emergency water supply projects.

The plan was approved in principal by the State Council's executive meeting, which Premier Wen Jiabao presided over Wednesday.

"Solving farmers' difficulties in accessing safe drinking water is vital for improving their living standard and promoting economic and social development in the rural areas," said a statement released by the meeting.

The statement requires "relevant departments" to jointly facilitate the smooth implementation of the plan, prioritize the settling of the most serious drinking water problems and ensure full and timely delivery of funds.

The meeting stressed the importance of strict monitoring of chemical fertilizer and pesticide usage and the prevention factory construction near water sources.

Since China set a five-year target to tackle the water supply problem in the countryside in 2000, the government has invested more than 18 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion) in the construction of more than 800,000 water supply projects for 57 million rural residents across the country.

According to an official with the Ministry of Water Resources, however, more than 300 million rural residents still do not have access to safe drinking water, and 190 million others have to drink water with excessive hazardous substances. Thirty-four percent of the country's rural population has to drink water that does not meet state standards.

To deal with the problem, the State Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Health have worked out a plan to reduce the number of rural residents without safe water by one-third by 2010, and to guarantee clean, safe water to the 300 million rural residents by 2020.

The meeting also approved the draft regulations on the management of commercial theatrical performances.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2005)