Extended droughts affect 101,000 people in N China

Extended droughts have left 101,000 people in drinking water shortage in north China's Hebei Province, said provincial authorities on Thursday.

Lingering droughts have spread to most parts of Hebei, a major grain-producing region in China, affecting 1.25 million hectares of crops, said the provincial water resources department.

More than 62,000 heads of large livestock are also struggling for water. Through mid-August, average precipitation in the province was 21 mm, about 50 percent less than in the same period of normal years.