S. China faces severe drought

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Source: CCTV.com | 11-23-2007 13:45

This year's autumn drought has worsened silting and lowered water levels in the main rivers in southern China. Water levels in some areas have fallen by more than one meter more than last year.

Yangtze River, one of China's main waterways, is facing its most severe autumn drought in 50 years.

A cargo ship has been grounded in the Jianli section in the middle reaches of the river, blocking traffic for more than 28 hours.

The ship is carrying over 3,000 tons of coal.

Workers are unloading the coal from the ship in an effort to relaunch it.

While the work continues, local maritime authorities have imposed a navigation ban over the affected section of the waterway.

They blame serious silting and low water levels caused by this autumn's drought for the accident.

Meanwhile, rainfall in Hunan province has dramatically reduced since last year, posing a drought threat to the Xiangjiang river. Low water levels have resulted in the drought period starting a month earlier than last year.

Local authorities are taking measures to guarantee the water supply to cities in Hunan province, including Changsha and Zhuzhou.