Chinese official calls for speedier solution to water problem

As parched Chinese capital Beijing needs greater supplies of water, a Chinese minister in charge of a large-scale transfer project has called for a speedier response to the problem.

However, as he made the urge, it wad confirmed by a government official that the project has been beset by negative issues and will be delayed until 2014, reported Reuters.

Zhang Jiyao said today that there must be "comprehensive acceleration of project construction".

Following this, a government official told Reuters that "according to the latest plan, the central route will be finished by 2014".

Despite Wang Fangyu, vice director of the Hubei section of the water project, admitting that pollution was the cause of delays to the South-North Water Diversion Project, the official denied the claim to the news agency.

Meanwhile, in the US, a manmade wetland costing a total of $7 million (£4.8 million) has proved successful in cleansing wastewater from a nearby tobacco plant operated by Philip Morris