China drought leaves 17 million without water
Pastor Dale Morgan
China drought leaves 17 million without water
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Reuters
Sunday, August 13, 2006; 12:53 AM
BEIJING (Reuters) - About 17 million people in southwest China don't
have access to clean drinking water due to sustained drought, state
media reported on Sunday.
Crops on large tracts of farmland in Sichuan province and the nearby
Chongqing municipality have withered due to the month-long drought,
causing economic losses of 9.23 billion yuan ($1.15 billion), the
Beijing News and the Xinhua news agency said.
Local governments have allocated funds to help residents fight the
drought by tapping ground water and improving water conservation
facilities, Xinhua said.
The searing heat meant 14 million people in Chongqing and three million
in Sichuan lack clean drinking water, the media said.
State television showed pictures of trucks transporting water to the
worst-hit areas and villagers digging wells.
The water level in the Chongqing section of the Yangtze river -- China's
longest river -- hit 3.5 metres (11.5 feet), its lowest in 100 years,
the online edition of state broadcaster CCTV said.