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Drought Easing, Water Shortage Remains in N. China
The most serious drought since the 1990s that hit northern and southwestern China has eased but water shortage remains in the north, a high-ranking water resources official said Thursday.
Since mid-June, heavy rainfall occurred in the drought areas of the eastern part of the southwest, North China, the most parts northeastern China, the Han River basin, the most area of Huang and Huai River basins. The rains eased the serious drought, said Zhang Jiyao, vice-minister of Water Resources.
Zhang told a press conference held here Thursday that the shortage of drinking water is still serious in areas severely stricken by drought.
He noted that the rainfall has not produced major flows and reservoirs have not got enough water supply because of the continuous drought in the country's northern part.
Beginning in the spring of this year, the northern and southwestern regions of China have experienced the severest drought since the 1990s. The drought affected industrial and agricultural production, and also resulted in shortage of drinking water in urban and rural areas.
By the first ten days of June when it was the driest, the total drought-affected areas of dry land and paddy fields amounted to 28 million ha and 1.38 million ha respectively.
For a time, 22.6 million rural residents and 14.5 million livestock were temporarily without adequate drinking water supply.
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