Chinese authorities were stepping up efforts to ensure drinking water and sanitation for the thousands of people living without basic necessities since Monday's earthquake.

"We are sending 48 movable water-purifying machines to quake-hit areas, as airdropped bottled water is far from sufficient," Jiang Weixin, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said on Friday.

Two machines had already arrived at Chengdu and another six were expected to reach the Sichuan provincial capital on Friday night, he added.

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

In Sichuan alone, water supply facilities were severely damaged in about 20 cities and counties, and the situation thought to be more serious in many other counties and townships, according to preliminary assessments.

The ministry was also shipping 800,000 water purification tablets to the quake zone, and 500,000 tablets arrived in Chengdu on Thursday morning.

A thousand household water purification sets were also arranged, with 700 to arrive at Chengdu on Saturday.

"The quake-hit areas are in urgent need of portable toilets," Jiang said. Conditions in the temporary accommodation areas were becoming inconvenient and insanitary.

Forty portable toilets were available in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing to be transported to Sichuan, and 10 were en route, Jiang said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2008)