A resident passes by water level gauges at the bank of Honghu Lake in Honghu City, central China's Hubei Province, May 24, 2011. Plagued by a severe drought which is spreading throughout China's southern regions, Honghu Lake has dwindled by a third in water surface and dropped down to less than 40 centimeters in its deepest place. [Xinhua/Hao Tongqian]