Drought-parched Chongqing Municipality in southwest China has
taken new measures to alleviate a severe water shortage which has
affected more than six million residents for several days.
The municipal drought prevention headquarters has ordered all
hydropower plants in the municipality not to store water for
electricity generation until the water shortage abates.
It ordered local factories to cut down on water use, and
villages to dig wells and build pools to capture rainfall,
headquarters officials said.
The headquarters has sent out 40 water wagons a day to provide
water for residents and called on people to be thrifty in using
water.
"I have three big barrels to store the water from washing
vegetables and clothes, and I reuse it to clean floors and flush
the toilet," said Li Zonglian, a local resident.
Staff from the meteorological station will trigger artificial
rain. Farmers are being encouraged to use seeds that can better
endure drought.
Chongqing, which straddles the Yangtze river, is in the throes
of a severe drought after a heatwave last summer and a long period
of low rainfall. Its reservoirs are 55 percent down on their normal
levels. Recent rainfall and water discharged from neighboring
Sichuan Province have done little to quench the city's thirst for
water.
The municipal meteorological station estimated the drought is
likely to continue until late April when the flood season
starts.
(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2007)