Gansu Takes Multiple Measures to Protect People’s Drinking Water
Xinhua News Agency, Lanzhou, August 24th – In an effort to combat the severe drought conditions in Gansu Province, local authorities have implemented various measures to protect people’s drinking water. A total of 295 million cubic meters of water has been added for drought relief and emergency dispatch, according to the Yellow River Water Conservancy Commission.
Due to extremely low levels of rainfall this year, the central and western regions of Gansu have experienced a 20% decrease in the inflow of major rivers compared to the annual average. As a result, 28 counties and districts in 10 cities and prefectures including Jiuquan and Zhangye have been impacted by high temperatures and limited rainfall. The water shortage has temporarily affected human consumption in some areas.
In response, Gansu Province recently convened a province-wide scheduling meeting to address the drought relief and disaster reduction efforts. The meeting emphasized the importance of ensuring drinking water safety and called on all localities to prioritize this issue. The government has urged local authorities to focus on guaranteeing both the quantity and quality of water supplies.
The Gansu Provincial Department of Water Resources has organized various water transfer and supply projects in the Yellow River Basin to increase the overall water supply and frequency of water supply. These projects include the Jingtaichuan Electric Power Irrigation Project, Yinda into Qin Project, and Yintao Water Supply Project. Additionally, temporary drought-relief emergency water source projects have been established in certain areas to overcome the drinking water difficulties faced by the local population.
For instance, in Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County of Tianshui City, new motor-driven wells were drilled, and water pipelines were laid to connect the reservoir, ensuring the safety of drinking water for more than 90,000 people in five towns. Similarly, time-sharing water supply and water transportation methods have been adopted in areas with severe drought conditions. Aksay Kazak Autonomous County, Jiuquan City has transported more than 4,000 cubic meters of water, while the Gansu Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Office has dispatched firefighting vehicles to deliver water to affected cities such as Jiuquan and Jinchang.
Despite these efforts, the drought continues to persist in parts of central and western Gansu. Local authorities are intensifying their efforts to identify drinking water difficulties and ensure a stable water supply. The Gansu Provincial Department of Water Resources has stated that in the next phase, they will scientifically utilize the newly added 295 million cubic meters of drought emergency dispatching water quotas to continue increasing water transfer and supply. The ultimate goal is to provide sufficient water resources for drought relief and disaster reduction operations.
[Responsible editor: Xue Tao]