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Nearly 1m in N. China suffer from water shortage

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-05 19:37

SHENYANG: More than 900,000 people in northern  China's Shanxi and Liaoning provinces are suffering from drinking water shortage due to an ongoing drought, local officials said Wednesday.

Related readings:  160,000 people suffer water shortage as drought hits NE China  196,000 suffer water shortage after prolonged drought  China grappling with extreme summer weather  Drought plagues China as downpour hits south

The flood control and drought relief headquarters in Shanxi province said the drought caused drinking water shortage for 670,000 people and 200,000 livestock, with the cities of Datong and Shuozhou being the worst affected.

The drought also hit 1 million hectares of farmland. Rivers feeding water for 31 of Shanxi's 63 large and medium-sized reservoirs have dried up, the headquarters said.

The Shanxi provincial government has invested 36.5 million yuan ($5.3 million) in drought relief.

In Liaoning, the Water Resources Department said 234,800 people and 70,200 livestock are suffering from drinking water shortage, up from 160,000 people two weeks ago as the drought continues.

Forty-three small reservoirs in Liaoning have dried up. More than 53,300 hectares of farmland are affected.