By Wu Jiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-17 08:50

Authorities are stepping up efforts to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for thousands of people living without basic necessities in the aftermath of Monday's earthquake.

"We plan to send 48 portable water-purifying machines to the most badly hit areas, as airdropped bottled water is far from sufficient," Jiang Weixin, minister of housing and urban-rural development, said on Friday.

The heavy machines are bound for the counties of Wenchuan and Beichuan, whose water supply networks have been destroyed.

Two of the machines have already arrived at Chengdu and six others are expected to reach the city on Friday night, Jiang said.

The remaining 40 machines are being transported from the manufacturers.

Each machine can purify 30-50 tons of slightly polluted water, producing a potable supply for 5,000 to 10,000 people every day, Li Dongxu, head of the ministry's urban construction department, said.

The water supply facilities in about 20 Sichuan cities and counties have been severely hit, with many more thought to be partly damaged, Li said.

The ministry is also in the process of shipping 800,000 water purification tablets to the quake zone, 500,000 of which reached Chengdu on Thursday morning.

One thousand household water purification sets have also been arranged, 700 of which should arrive in Chengdu on Saturday, the ministry said.

Rescue teams in many areas are now fighting to provide decent sanitation at the temporary shelters.

"The quake-hit areas are in urgent need of portable toilets," Jiang said.

With an estimated 4.8 million people now living in temporary shelters, the ministry said it plans to transport 3,000 gas-fuelled cookers to disaster sites.

Meanwhile, the ministry has dispatched 45 experts to help local construction authorities assess damage to the residential buildings still standing, he said.

"Many local residents are sleeping out in the open, for fear of their damaged houses collapsing We will tell them to move back to their buildings if they are assessed as being safe," Jiang said.

Xinhua contributed to the story