Southwest China's Sichuan Province began to make artificial rain to ease the lingering drought, but much more rain was needed to end the drought, local authorities said Thursday.

Dry weather has plagued southwest China for months, leaving at least 15 million people short of drinking water in the worst-hit regions of Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi and Chongqing, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters based in Beijing.

In Yunnan Province alone, the worst drought in six decades had left 6 million people short of drinking water, the local government said Wednesday.

In Sichuan Province, more than 346,000 people were facing water shortages and more than 6 million mu (about 0.4 million hectare) of crops had been damaged to some extent.

"We have made the first artificial rain for this year within the province on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning," Chen You, from the provincial drought relief headquarters said.

But the worsening situation would continue to develop even so, Chen said.

"We'll do whatever we can to ensure water supply for all, and to minimize the damage caused by the drought," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2010)