Returning to news from China, despite the pandemic, the country remains focused on its goal of eradicating absolute poverty by the end of this year. As the anti-poverty battle enters its final phase, CGTN will bring you a special series on the efforts in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, starting from Saturday. In the first episode, CGTN reporter Yang Jinghao takes us to the westernmost county of Akto where massive water conservancy projects have made safe drinking water readily available to local residents.

Heating water for tea and rinsing off vegetables before dinner, all it takes is a simple turn of the tap. But for this Uyghur family in southern Xinjiang, meeting these daily needs used to be a luxury. 

JERULLA ISLAM Villager in Southern Xinjiang "In the past, we need to get water from afar by buckets and push carts. The water was often too dirty to drink, sometimes smelly. It is bad for our health." 

The vast region of southern Xinjiang has long struggled for safe drinking water due to its harsh natural conditions. China's westernmost county of Akto, which borders Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is no exception. For decades, local farmers and herdsmen could only access surface water from rivers, which falls far short of drinking standards. Major changes started in 2018 as sweeping poverty reduction efforts pushed ahead.  

YANG JINGHAO Akto, Xinjiang "The spring water here is readily drinkable. Thanks to a local water conservancy project, the same water has been provided to some 30 thousand households about 50 km away through this specialized channel."  

So far, about 460 million yuan, about 65 million U.S. dollars, has been invested to ensure that each family in the county is provided with clean water.  

CHEN SHUANGXI Chief, Akto Water Conservancy Bureau "The money was mainly spent on the transformation of water sources, construction of pipelines of 83 kilometers long and installation of terminals including taps and water meters." 

This Kirgiz family is among those that were relocated from water-scarce deep mountains. The project has made their lives a lot easier.  

GUL'AZAT MEMETHESEN Akto Villager "Before we moved here, it was impossible to use clean water during the flooding season. But now, drinking, taking bath, everything is convenient." 

With people's basic needs satisfied, local water authorities are now stepping up to enhance water management via platforms based on big data technology. 

TUDAHUN QARI Chief, Rural Water Supply Station of Akto County "With this platform, the guarantee rate of water supply can reach more than 95 percent. In the past, it took at least two days to fix related problems, as we couldn't be alerted in time. Now, all trouble can be solved within the same day."  

The entire region is expected to shake off poverty by the end of this year. By then, each family will enjoy pure drinking water – one of the necessities of life. YJH, CGTN, Akto, Xinjiang.