YINCHUAN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region vows to make safe drinking water accessible to all local residents living under the poverty line by the end of this year.

The regional government helped 498,500 impoverished people get safe drinking water, and supplied tap water for 91,500 households last year, according to the regional water resources department.

So far there are still 5,575 impoverished people with no access to clean drinking water, 4.5 percent of the total underprivileged population of the region, the department said.

Ningxia will allocate 70 million yuan (10.3 million U.S. dollars) from the rural safe drinking water fund from the central government to the deep poverty-stricken areas including Haiyuan and Xiji counties while attracting more capital through market-based financing.

The total investment of the rural drinking water project is expected to reach 400 million yuan, the department said.