Widespread, prolonged drought had left 8.97 million Chinese short of drinking water by Thursday, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said on Friday.

The drought, worsened by high temperatures and strong winds, has also affected 14.93 million hectares of arable land in most parts of northern China and some parts in the southwestern city of Chongqing and neighboring provinces Sichuan and Yunnan.

The acreage of arable land affected by drought is 25 percent more than the average level in the past years, according to the office. It added 7.52 million head of livestock were also short of drinking water.

"The rainfall in northern China since May 10 was only 50 to 10 percent of the normal level for the same period in the previous years, while the temperature is two to three centigrades higher," said Zhang Zhitong, deputy chief of the office.

Zhang said 1,000 reservoirs in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and provinces of Hebei and Shanxi in north China, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the northwest have dried up.

The Chinese central government has earmarked this year 223 million yuan (US$29 million) to alleviate the severe drought, he added.

The office also urged local governments to first ensure drinking water for local residents and reminded residents of water saving in daily life.

The Central Meteorological Observatory on Friday forecast light to moderate rains across the country from May 21 to 25, adding the rain is expected to ease the drought that has lasted for more than two months but is unfavorable to the imminent harvest of winter wheat.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2007)