China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) has asked localities to take effective anti-pollution measures during the ongoing battle against the virulent avian flu epidemic.

"Water sources in some areas have been polluted due to improper handling of the poultry corpses in the control of bird flu," said the SEPA in a circular.

However, the SEPA did not reveal when and where the pollution had occurred.

China reported 32 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks from January to December 2005 in the country, leaving a total of 154,600 birds dead and 22,571,200 culled.

In the circular, the SEPA asked localities to attach great importance to the environmental issues that could occur as they try to bring avian flu under control. It said the localities should pay attention to the proper handling of the corpses and waste water in line with the appropriate laws and regulations.

"Immediate checkups should be conducted in the breeding farms of domestic animals and poultry located around key water sources, along the river banks and in densely populated areas," read the circular. The environmental protection authorities in the epidemic areas should step up efforts to monitor water quality and report to local government and relevant departments immediately if any instance of pollution occurs.

The SEPA also instructed localities to ban the construction of any breeding farms in environmentally sensitive areas, including major water sources and densely populated areas.

"The building of breeding farms must strictly comply with the law of environmental impact assessment and other relevant laws and regulations," the statement added.

Up to January 25 this year, seven people have died of bird flu in China's Sichuan, Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces as well as in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2006)