Almost two weeks after a major earthquake hit southwest China, 1.08 million people in the southwestern province of Sichuan still lack sufficient clean drinking water, an official told reporters in Beijing on Sunday.

Measures would be taken to solve the problem by May 31, according to E Jingping, Vice Minister of Water Resources.

The 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12 left more than 9 million people without potable water. So far, supplies have resumed in all six provinces that were affected, except for part of Sichuan Province, he said.

Measures are being taken to repair the water supply system, provide temporary disinfection devices or household water purifiers, and transport water to where it's needed, he said.

"We should adapt to local conditions to solve the problem as soon as possible," he said.

The water system, including pipelines, would gradually be rebuilt and take the place of temporary solutions, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2008)