Water project slakes thirsts and raises incomes

Residents of an isolated county in China's northwest are celebrating the arrival of safe, clean supplies. Cao Yin reports from Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

When he opened a tap at his home in Jiashi county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and saw clean water flow out, Abdukerim Kurban knew he could finally say farewell to his "bitter" life.

"At that moment, my family members couldn't wait to taste the tap water. Everything was so sweet," said the 48-year-old member of the Uygur ethnic group from Kashgar prefecture with a laugh, speaking at the end of May.

"I don't need to push a cart to carry water from afar anymore and I'll never have to worry about the cleanliness of the water."

For decades, water was more precious than gold for residents of Jiashi, which is located on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert where the harsh conditions mean it is one of the places most affected by water shortages and safety issues.

Those factors were a major obstacle to raising local living standards and lifting residents out of poverty.

After a yearlong water project was completed in the arid northwestern region at the end of May, Jiashi's 470,000 residents gained access to clean drinking water. The development also offered a solution to the problem of providing Xinjiang's poorest people with potable water.

"In recent years, we have spent lots of time and energy searching for sources of safe drinking water, and all our efforts have been worthwhile," Liu Hu, director of the county's water resources bureau, said.

As a local who experienced the days of drinking sour, salty puddle water or drawing water from wells, Liu said residents often got sick after drinking the liquid as it was often contaminated with pollutants or chemicals.

"The move from bitter puddle water to safe tap water was not an easy task, so we cherish the water project very much," the 46-year-old said. "Water safety is not only a must for people's health, but also a key to helping Jiashi attract investors and tourists."

Jia Zhonghu, deputy director of the standing committee of the Jiashi people's congress, shared Liu's opinion. He noted that the project has provided 500 jobs for local residents and helped improve the ecosystem and environment.

In addition to providing a guarantee of economic development, "the safe drinking water means a better life and a bright future for us", he said, adding that the project was a crucial step toward raising living standards and helping people escape poverty.

In June last year, the Ministry of Water Resources said it had been working hard to improve the quality of drinking water nationwide while eliminating poverty. It pledged that all poor families would be supplied with safe drinking water by the end of this year.

Maremsa Turhun, a dressmaker in Jiashi, said: "Now, whether boiling water for tea, rinsing vegetables or feeding our livestock, all it takes is a simple turn of the tap. Dirty water is just a memory for us."