Long drought continues in China's province

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South China's Guangdong Province continues to suffer from a drought, which has ruined crops, and triggered drinking water shortages.

A lack of rain since August, has dried up farmland across the area. Farmers have had to pump well water to irrigate their land, or rely on the rapidly evaporating water in lakes and rivers. But all their efforts couldn't prevent a poor harvest. A reservoir in Longchuan County is running dry, threatening more than 24-thousand people who rely on it for drinking water.

Local authorities have assigned thousands of pump machines to the worst hit areas, in an effort to source more water from underground. Many regions have claimed drought relief funds to help those affected.

This picture taken on Oct 20, 2009 shows the pipes of a water intake near  the Juzizhou Bridge of the city of Changsha in central China's Hunan  province are extended to the center of Xiang River to ensure water supply  for residents. Recently Xiang River experienced a dry season which  threatens the water supply and water safety of a total of 3 million  residents living along the river. The local officials have tried every  means to help waterworks to fetch water amid the severe drought.[Xinhua]