Drought Hits Yangtze River Area

China’s Yangtze River, which should be in flood stage in August, has also been hit by the drought that has gripped other parts of the country.

Water in many sections of the river is at historically low levels, reports the Xinhua news agency. The river’s hydrological bureau says the volume of water entering the Three Gorges Reservoir, in the middle reaches of the river, this month has been about the same as the February dry season.

The Three Gorges Reservoir in Hubei Province is the world’s largest hydro-power project, says the report.

Authorities have increased patrols and assistance operations along the waterway to help vessels running aground.

The flood season will end this month but forecasters have not offered much hope of rain in the next few days.

In the neighboring southwest provinces, the drought has severely affected farming and about 7.5 million people in the region are threatened with water shortage, the report said.

About 3.2 million acres of cropland have been affected by the drought. The total economic loss from the drought is estimated in the billions of dollars.