3.17 mln lack drinking water

According to local authorities, more than 17.06 million people in 1,311 towns have been affected by the drought since July, with 3.17 million lacking drinking water.

Some 1.34 million hectares of farmland have been affected by the drought. And about 1.49 million heads of cattle also lack drinking water.

In Wumian Village, one of the hardest hit areas, this well is the only place residents can get water.

But even this well is running dry, yielding only about three cubic meters of water each day.

SOUNDBITE(CHINESE): WEI QILIAN, Villager

"The farmland and the soil are dried up. We have no choice but to wait for water here. My two grandsons are doing the same."

According to initial calculations, the drought has caused economic losses of about 1.56 billion U.S. dollars.

The provincial civil affairs department has allocated about 16 million U.S. dollars for drought relief efforts.

The provincial meteorological station said the drought will continue next week, and that showers in the next three days will help to relieve the drought.