China must work harder to ensure safe drinking water in rural areas, where about 110 million people still lack clean drinking water, the Ministry of Water Resources said Tuesday.
Â
Resolving drinking water safety by 2015 for rural residents, including more than 15 million teachers and students in the countryside, is one of the government's priorities.
Â
"We must make sure this goal is fulfilled," Minister of Water Resources, Chen Lei, said at a national video conference.
Â
Since 2005, China has spent nearly 180 billion CNY (about 29 billion USD) on drinking water projects, benefiting 410 million people.
Â
In the coming two years, the government will build more facilities, strengthen water quality control and step up supervision.
Â
Industrial pollution is blamed for polluting rivers and lakes during the past three decades.Â