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Zhejiang Suffering From Drinking Water Shortage
Some 34,000 people in east China's Zhejiang Province are suffering from a shortage of water due to a drought which started in June this year.
In the city of Huzhou, water in rivers, lakes and reservoirs has dropped to "an alarmingly low level," said a government drought relief official.
Most of the affected areas are in the northern part of the coastal province, the official said, adding that water supplies are only half of the normal level.
He said 22 small reservoirs, 277 ponds in mountainous regions and 32 rivers have run dry.
Farmers have started to worry about their agricultural output, as the drought has affected 21,000 hectares of farmland and 3,400 hectares of breeding ponds for freshwater aquatic products, he said.
The government has set up a drought relief committee, which has mobilized 100,000 people to dredge rivers and drain water.
In some places, water buckets and boats are used to get drinking water for people and domestic animals.
Seven million yuan (about 840,000 million U.S. dollars) has been allocated for drought relief.
Hygiene and environmental-protection officials are now heading for drought-stricken areas to prevent the outbreak of epidemic diseases and supervise water quality.
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