Drought affects 6.38 mln hectares of farmland

Drought plaguing the country's central and western regions has affected 95.77 million mu (6.38 million hectares) of farmland, China's drought relief authority said on Thursday.

Over the past week, sun and high temperatures have worsened conditions in drought-stricken south China, where precipitation was less than 5 mm, 80 percent down compared with the same period last year, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The drought has also left 9.24 million people and 3.04 million head of livestock in affected regions short of drinking water, the headquarters said.

Areas suffering most are mainly in the provinces of Hunan, Guizhou and Hubei, the headquarters said.

Some 17.5 million people and 2.45 million facilities have been mobilized for drought relief work since the beginning of this year's summer drought in July, the headquarters said.