More than 320,000 people in Jiangxi Province are suffering from drinking water shortages due to a severe drought, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said on Wednesday.
  
High temperatures have dried out most parts of Jiangxi since mid-July, affecting both people and more than 177,000 hectares of cropland.

Water level in the Poyang Lake drops sharply.

The province only received an average precipitation of 579 mm over the past three months, 30 percent less than the comparable average amount over past years.
  
On July 20, large and medium-sized reservoirs have seen average water storage drop by 1.34 billion cubic meters as compared to average figures from recent years.
  
Weather forecasts predicted continued high temperatures for a prolonged period in the near future, adding to the severity of the drought.
  
Local governments are working on water consumption plans and reinforcing the management of water resources to ensure drinking water supply and irrigation.
  
In a sharp contrast, severe floods have hit nearly half of China's regions this summer, claiming at least 400, making it one of the worst rainy seasons in the last ten years.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2007)