20090829 Severe drought hurts drinking water supply(1)

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn A farmer in Wengniute Banner in north China's Inner Mongolia takes a close look at his dried-out field of crops in the drought-hit region on Aug 20. The drought is being described as the area's most severe for 100 years. Li Yuqiao A fast-spreading drought has decreased drinking water supplies for nearly 7 million people and damaged crops in seven provinces and regions in central and northern China, the national anti-drought administration said. Official statistics showed the drought had caused water shortages for 6.93 million people and 5.62 million head of livestock by Thursday. The overall scenario is serious because the drought is spreading fast due to low rainfall and lingering high temperatures, anti-drought officials said. "The rainfall in Inner Mongolia has been barely enough for grass to grow", and both people and livestock are facing a serious shortage of drinking water, Lu Juan said.