Beijing water supply will run clear and constant during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, vice-minister of water resource Suo Lisheng reassured the world yesterday.

Back-up sources and contingency plans will be in place, said the minister.

"Beijing has already taken a series of measures, such as last year's setting up of the water resource bureau to co-ordinate the water management, and is now implementing a comprehensive water use plan to ensure a constant water supply in the capital," said Suo, also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

As the preparation for the 2008 Olympics gather momentum, worries about how this water-deficient capital will cope are growing.

There is looming water shortage because it cannot be guaranteed that supplies transferred from the southern part of the country via a massive pipeline project, will reach the capital in time.

Beijing has already set up some backup water sources for contingent use.

(China Daily March 8, 2005)