Rain is forecast for northeast China's Liaoning Province over the next couple of days
bringing at least some relief to its worst drought in 56 years.
Moderate to heavy rains are expected in southern and
southeastern Liaoning, while other parts of the province can expect
showers or even thundershowers, said Chen Yanqiu, deputy director
of the Liaoning Provincial Meteorological Station.
Chen said despite the forecast for widespread precipitation it
will only bring slight relief to the province's drought.
A spokesman with the Liaoning Provincial Flood Control and
Drought Relief Headquarters said the expected rain will not do much
to fill the dried-up rivers and reservoirs. Some 160 of the
province's 936 reservoirs have dried up.
The drought, the worst to hit Liaoning since records began in
1951, has affected more than 2 million hectares of farmland, or
65.7 percent of the province's total, statistics with the
headquarters show.
Nearly 1.6 million people and 750,000 head of livestock in 14
cities, 89 counties and 914 townships are suffering water
shortages.
This month the province has had only 10 percent of its normal
rain while temperatures are 2.5 degrees higher than normal,
meteorologists say.
The provincial government has spent nearly 300 million yuan
(US$37.5 million) for disaster relief.
Meanwhile in neighboring Jilin Province, people are still battling a
drought, and rainfall there is not expected until Saturday.
Jilin has managed to provide drinking water to about 150,000
thirsty people in rural areas, said Xie Wanku, deputy head of the
Jilin Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.
Despite the effort, 288,700 people in the countryside and
181,300 head of livestock are still short of drinking water, Xie
said.
More than two thirds of the province's farmland, about 2.67
million hectares, has been affected by the drought. Nineteen of the
province's reservoirs have dried up.
The province has spent 326 million yuan (US$40.75 million) for
disaster relief and dispatched more than 2 million people to combat
the drought.
(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2007)