Drought leaves 83,000 people short of drinking water in central China

CHANGSHA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- About 83,000 people in central China's Hunan Province are facing drinking water shortages as a drought that has been plaguing the area for months continues.

As of Friday, 83,000 people in 31 counties in the province and 40,000 heads of livestock had been affected by the shortage, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

The drought also affected 400,000 hectares of cropland and dried up more than 1,500 reservoirs.

The water level of some stretches of the Xiangjiang River, the province's main waterway, is at a historical low.

"This year, Hunan suffered drought both in summer and autumn," said Xiao Kuntao, an official with the headquarters. "The sustained drought has caused all-time lows in the water level of the Xiangjiang River."

Statistics with the provincial meteorological bureau showed the province had 123 millimeters of rain from September to November, down nearly 50 percent from normal years.

The headquarters said it had ordered reservoirs used to generate hydroelectric power to increase the volume of water discharged to ensure an adequate water supply for residents.