Rainfall Eases Drought in ChinaThe three-day rainfall that began on Thursday along the Huaihe and Hanshui River valleys has eased the severe drought that have parched northern China for more than three months.Today's China Daily quoted Zhang Jiatuan, an official with the Ministry of Water Resources official, as saying that the massive rainfall has decreased drought-stricken crop lands to 11.13 million hectares. The newspaper said that nine cities and counties in east China' s Anhui Province has been drenched since Thursday night, while Jiangsu Province, Henan Province and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region have all experienced widespread rain and rainstorms in the first three days of this months. This spring, northern China and parts of southern regions have endured the most severe drought in a decade, which has caused a shortage of drinking water for 21.47 million people and 17.06 million livestocks. "Although the rainfall has brought relief to the drought- stricken areas to some extent, the drought will still last for a certain period due to the limited area hit by the rainfall," Zhang said. Southern China is continuing to suffer from a lack of rain and high temperatures. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |