SHANGHAI - Hot weather and a severe drought have left over 18 million people short of drinking water, damaged millions of hectares of cropland and reduced water supplies for millions of livestock, Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.
The Sichuan basin, including the municipality of Chongqing in southwest China, is suffering its worst drought in over 50 years. Low rainfall and high temperatures have also hit a swath of central China.
By Thursday, 18 million people in fifteen Chinese provinces and regions were suffering drinking water shortages caused by the drought, according to Chinese Ministry of Water Resources. More than 130 million hectares of cropland and more than 17 million livestock were affected.
"The severe drought will not ease up and is very likely to get worse," Xinhua said, quoting a ministry statement.
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has allocated 100 million yuan (US$12.5 million) to drought-hit areas, Xinhua said.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
