The Ministry of Environmental Protection has sent guideline books on provision of clean drinking water and disposal of waste and hazardous material to quake-hit Yushu of northwestern Qinghai Province.

The ministry said in a statement Friday it organized experts to draw up the guidelines immediately after the region was hit by a 7.1- magnitude quake Wednesday morning.

The guidelines outline both principles and instructions for local environmental protection departments to follow.

On provision of clean drinking water, the guidelines ask the departments to select available water sources to build emergency and alternative water sources, among other things.

The guidelines also lay out instructions for disposing hazardous material, which would prevent secondary environmental disasters, the statement said.

The ministry has already sent a team of 20 environmental protection experts, environment monitoring personnel and instruments to the quake-hit area.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2010)