A medical team is being dispatched to parched areas in Yunnan Province to prevent possible epidemic outbreaks. Their major focus is to monitor the quality of the water.

At Tanglichong Village in Malong County, a small pond is the only water source. It is shared by more than 4,000 local farmers. Medical experts are here to check the water quality.

Professor Li Junwen from PLA (People's Liberation Army) Disease Control Center said, "The water is drinkable. We are telling the villagers to fully boil the water before drinking. Our next step is building a water quality supervision system."

The team is made up of experts specializing in water safety, microbes and disease control. Their responsibilities include providing guidance to local authorities in making countermeasures in case of an epidemic outbreak, assisting local clinics and hospitals and educating soldiers dispatched to fight the drought.

(CCTV.com March 31, 2010)