Groundwater exploitation will be forbidden in areas with dense buildings in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, to avoid road cave-ins and groundwater pollution, local media reported on Thursday.

No new groundwater exploitation projects will be launched in areas that have been over-exploited, have the danger of a road cave-in or have a sufficient tap water supply network, according to the Nanjing Groundwater Resources Protection Methods, which takes effect on Aug 1, the Yangtze Evening Post reported.

The method also forbids building landfills or enterprises with pollution risks in groundwater protection areas. It also suggests setting up monitoring sites to keep a close watch for groundwater pollution.

In Nanjing, the total amount of natural groundwater recharge resources is 727 million tons each year, and the quantity of exploitable resources is 379 million tons per year, according to the report.