Xinjiang gets emergency drought relief equipment

A batch of emergency drought-relief equipment has been allocated to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps as persistent high temperatures and low rainfall continue to affect parts of northwestern China, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Emergency Management on Thursday.

The Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management, together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, dispatched 110 drought-relief water pumps, 60 generators and 10 well-drilling machines on Thursday at the request of the corps' disaster prevention, mitigation and relief commission.

The equipment will support local efforts to combat drought and mitigate its impact, according to the ministry.

Parts of Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have experienced varying degrees of drought due to prolonged hot and dry weather. On July 23, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level-IV emergency response, the lowest level in China's four-tier drought emergency response system, for Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Authorities said at the time that high temperatures were expected to persist in Xinjiang, while rainfall would remain below normal, raising the risk of worsening drought conditions.

As drought continued to develop in northwestern China, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Sunday allocated 60 million yuan ($8.9 million) in emergency disaster-relief funds to Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

The funds are mainly intended to help address difficulties in accessing water in urban and rural areas, including purchasing or renting emergency water storage, purification and supply equipment, as well as deploying personnel to ensure access to drinking water for residents.