China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said on Wednesday that more than 40 million hectares are facing a severe drought.

A farmer squats on a dried-out river bed at a village in Xiangfan, central China's Hubei province August 16, 2006. Scorching weather and continuous drought across China have affected over 100 million hectares of farmland this summer, latest statistics show. [newsphoto]

Crops on ten million hectares of farmland have already withered. Sustained high temperature and low summer rainfall have brought drought to large parts of China this summer, said Tian Yitang, a headquarters official.

In the southwestern municipality of Chongqing and neighbouring Sichuan province, it is the most severe drought in 50 years, said Tian.

The southern parts of China, usually rainy and humid in summer, have also experienced drought this year, said Tian. Water levels in most rivers have remained low.

The northwestern parts of the country, hit by drought most summers, are suffering from searing heat and low rainfall this year as usual.

Tian said continuous droughts have left about 14 million people and 15 million livestock short of water.

Local governments have allocated more than 300 million U.S. dollars to help residents fight the drought.

On the hottest days, more than 30 million people are mobilized each day to tap ground water, transport water tanks and improve water conservation facilities.

The drought-relief efforts have solved water supply problems for more than 12 million people across China, Tian said.

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