China digs more wells as drought hits millions

Emergency wells have been drilled and cloud-seeding operations carried out in southern China, where the worst drought in decades has left millions of people without water and caused more than 1,000 schools to close, officials said.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Mar 2010, 22:22 BST
Updated 25th Mar 2010, 22:22 BST

Provincial and national land resources bureau officials met in Kunming, capital of the hardest-hit province of Yunnan, to discuss details of deploying workers to dig wells and increase cloud seeding and other aid to people in need of drinking water, according to a director at the Yunnan Land Resources Bureau.

"The situation here will get worse in the coming months before it gets any better, but hopefully with more wells and water being diverted to those in need, we can help ease the situation," said Ma, who like many Chinese officials would give only his surname.

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The drought, which has left south-western China suffering since last year, has affected about 61 million people and left more than 12 million acres barren in Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing and Guangxi, the official Xinhua News Agency cited the Ministry of Civil Affairs as saying.

For parts of Yunnan, it is the worst drought in a century, with about 5.4 million people facing water shortages.

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