A drought is threatening supplies of drinking water to more than 14 million Chinese, a national environmental protection official said Thursday.

A farmer stretches his hand to measure the depth of the cracks in Suining, southwest China's Sichuan province May 9, 2006. [Xinhua]

The drought has affected 16.3 million hectares of farmland in the China's northern, northeastern and southwestern regions, said Zhang Zhitong, executive director of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The amount of affected farmland was 36.3 percent more than the average annual area, Zhang said.

The drinking water shortage had also affected 11.55 million head of livestock, Zhang said.

Weather forecasters say there is no sign of the drought breaking in most parts of northern and southwestern regions in the foreseeable future.

Beijing, with a permanent population of 15.36 million and more than four million transients, is suffering its worst drought in 50 years, with only 17 millimeters of rainfall reported in the past four months, down 63 percent from the same period last year.

Local authorities have warned that the lack of rain is already challenging the city's water supply.

Beijing has suffered drought for seven consecutive years. The average annual rainfall between 1999 and 2005 was only 70 percent of the average since records began.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Thursday ordered local governments to take "all possible" measures to combat the drought.

"Drinking water supply and safety must be secured and spring plowing and sowing must be guaranteed," Zhang said.