About 1.27 million people living in southwest China's Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region are suffering from water shortages due to
continuous drought, local flood control and drought relief
officials said on Sunday.
Statistics showed that 1.27 million people and 849,000 heads of
livestock in 49 cities and counties across the region are short of
water.
Meanwhile, a total area of 6.4 million mu (about 430,000
hectares) of crops have been affected, with 1.67 million mu
(about111,300 hectares) of fields having no water at all to grow
rice.
According to the regional flood control and drought relief
office, the drought-hit areas were having 46.8 percent less
rainfall this July than the same period of normal years.
Water levels at major local rivers and reservoirs are much lower
than usual. By late July, major reservoirs with irrigation
functions were holding 4.53 billion cubic meters of water, which is
2.4 billion cubic meters less than the same period of last
year.
Meteorologists have forecast hot and dry weather for most parts
of Guangxi in August, which means the drought is likely to remain
or even worsen.
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(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2007)