Under the regulation, relevant departments should properly arrange the location of temporary housing and supporting facilities.

Temporary settlements should occupy as little farmland as possible and avoid harming natural reserves, drinking water sources and vulnerable ecological areas.

Factors including pollution, ecological damage and the bearing capacity of resources and the environment should be included in after-quake assessment work, the regulation reads.

To ensure the effective implementation of relevant rebuilding work, the regulation clarifies competent bodies for different tasks, Cao said.

The China Earthquake Administration will lead the work in after-quake assessment, while the National Development and Reform Commission will lead the compilation of the reconstruction plan and local governments will be responsible for the plan's implementation.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and its subordinate agencies will supervise the quality of new projects, while the financial and audit departments will monitor the use of capital and materials.

The Ministry of Supervision and its subordinate agencies will deal with government workers' wrongdoings.

Public opinion

Beichuan, another earthquake-devastated county with a large population from the Qiang ethnic group, also faces relocation. An expert panel working on earthquake relief in Beichuan recommended a new site for Beichuan in a township in neighboring Anxian County.

According to Li Xiaojiang, Director of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design and head of the expert panel, the new site was chosen for three factors. First, it is not prone to earthquakes or geological disasters. Second, the new site is already home to Qiang people. Third, the new site is not far away from Mianyang City, which could help to generate economic development opportunities. The final site must take into account the opinion of the general public, according to the new regulation.

The regulation says the right of public participation in the planning of reconstruction should be respected and government departments and experts should consider public opinion in deciding new locations of county or township headquarters. It says the new locations should avoid earthquake-active, flood-prone and landslide-prone regions, areas with a vulnerable ecological environment or areas where there are epidemics.

According to a report by Xinmin Evening News, residents of the potential new site of Beichuan welcomed the plan as it could bring them new employment opportunities as well as subsidies for dismantling their old housing, which was damaged by the earthquake.

The regulation also requires respect for people's choices in the construction of temporary housing and the design and location of new housing for farmers.

During the cleanup of earthquake debris, the customs and habits of ethnic groups should be respected and property found should be registered and stored.

In earthquake settlements, prefabricated housing, which is more comfortable than tents, will be first given to people relocated from their hometowns. Priority will be given to families where someone has died, or that include pregnant women, infants, orphans, childless senior citizens or handicapped people as well as institutions, such as schools and clinics.

To ensure basic living conditions in the settlements, the government requires them to have supplies of water and electricity, as well as schools and clinics. The regulation also requires that housing in the settlements should be able to protect residents from fire, wind and rain.