(Xinhua) Updated: 2010-02-24
The bottom of a reservoir is seen in the Bouyei and Miao autonomous
prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou province, February 23, 2010. Over
1.53 million people and 756 thousand of livestock fall short of water
due to long-term lack of rainfall. 4.17 million mu of crops by Tuesday
are affected, with 2.65 million mu seriously damaged and 300 thousand mu
destroyed completely in the province.
BEIJING: A severe drought over the past months has left 7.5 million people and
more than 4 million head of livestock without adequate drinking water in two
southwestern Chinese provinces, local authorities said Tuesday.
In addition, the long dry spell has threatened reservoirs and affected
millions of hectares of crop land and forests in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces,
according to the local drought relief authorities.
Yunnan has been experiencing the worst drought in six decades since last
autumn due to lack of rainfall and high temperatures.
Almost 6 million people and 3.6 million head of livestock are facing drinking
water shortages in Yunnan.
"The drought would bring grave losses to industrial and agricultural
production, and increase risks of forest fires," Qin Guangrong, governor of
Yunnan, told a drought relief meeting Tuesday.
If the drought continues, the number of people hit by drinking water shortages
in Yunnan would rise to 7.92 million in March, 9.51 million in April and 10.14
million in May, he said.
In addition, more crop land would be affected and grain production would be
greatly reduced, he said.
Authorities in the two provinces have allocated special funds, and dispatched
relief personnel and water trucks to the drought-stricken areas.
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