URUMQI, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is striving to provide clean and safe drinking water for 15,300 impoverished people, local authorities said.

The move will help ensure the supply of safe drinking water to all impoverished people in Xinjiang in the first half of this year, according to the region's water resources department.

"We will continue to improve the quality and convenience of the drinking water supply for people in agricultural and pastoral areas," said Zhou Juncang, an official with the water resources department.

In 2019, Xinjiang invested 3.83 billion yuan (over 547 million U.S. dollars) in 116 water projects to provide clean and safe drinking water for residents in rural areas, benefitting about 346,000 impoverished people.