NANCHANG, Nov 06, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Prolonged drought has affected 1,279,000 people in east China's Jiangxi and Fujian provinces.
More than 990,000 people in Jiangxi are short of drinking water, said Sun Xiaoshan, deputy director of the provincial flood control and drought relief office, on Friday.
The drought has cut off normal water supply in some rural areas. "Villagers in Fengxin, Jing'an, Leping counties have to carry drinking water by trucks," Sun said.
"The water levels of four of the province's five main rivers hit record lows and are still dropping," he added.
"The self-cleaning ability of the rivers has decreased significantly due to the drastic fall of water volume, posing a threat to public health," Sun said.
The provincial government has stepped up water quality monitoring and supervision over enterprises that may cause pollution, he said.
Meteorological rockets have failed to bring much relief as there is little moisture in the air, Sun said, adding the drought is expected to end between next January and February.
In neighboring Fujian Province, more than 370,000 people are also suffering from water shortage, according to a statement released by the provincial flood control and drought relief office on Friday.
The drought has affected 107,620 hectares of cropland in the province, the statement said.
