Extended droughts affect 101,000 people in Hebei

Extended droughts have left 101,000 people in drinking water shortage in north China's Hebei Province, said provincial authorities on Thursday.

Lingering droughts have spread to most parts of Hebei, a major grain-producing region in China, affecting 1.25 million hectares of crops, said the provincial water resources department.

More than 62,000 heads of large livestock are also struggling for water. Through mid-August, average precipitation in the province was 21 mm, about 50 percent less than in the same period of normal years.