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Drought hits South 皇冠体育app's Guangdong

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-11 18:48

GUANGZHOU: Spreading drought hit South 皇冠体育app's Guangdong province, where more than 50,000 people suffer from drinking water shortage while 53,333 hectares of crops are affected.

Related readings:  Vice Premier stresses autumn harvest effort  86M yuan allocated to aid natural disaster-hit areas  Autumn drought hits Chinese provinces  Drought worsening water shortages in Chongqing  Gov't initiates grade IV drought emergency response

According to local flood control and drought relief authorities, average rainfall in Guangdong this year was 1,400 millimeters, 13 percent down from previous years.

In Renhua county in Shaoguan city, one of the worst-hit area, water level in the reservoirs was just 78.2 percent full compared with normal years, said Huang Fuyang, deputy head of the county. Cracks appeared in the field due to  drought.

"I have been living here for so many years, but I never saw such serious drought," a 73-year-old farmer from Zhoutian township in Renhua county told Xinhua.

Governments at different levels in the province have earmarked more than 67.7 million yuan ($10 million) for drought relief. Local authorities were encouraged to make artificial rains.