A statement on Wednesday from the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters confirms that the dry-spell has turned worse in several parts of China especially in the north, northeast, and central provinces.

In Northeast China, almost 3 million hectares of cropland in Jilin, Liaoning, and Inner Mongolia are suffering from the worst drought that has hit the area in more than six decades.

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Rivers in Furong Town of Fuxin Mongolian Autonomous County have become shallow and narrow as precipitation has reached an all-time low since 1951, forcing the Liaoning province to raise its emergency response level to the highest in order to dampen the drought's effect in the area.

El Nino, a weather anomaly normally accompanied by dry spells in the north while bringing more rains in the south, is seen as the major contributor for the harsh drought.

Reports state that the dry spell will persist as forecasts indicate that less rain will be experienced in Northeast China in August.

Meteorologists have turned to artificial rain-making rockets in an attempt to quench the thirst of dying crops in El Nino affected areas.

Farmers turn to manual irrigation by pumping water from wells and other water sources to allow their crops to get through the drastic dry season.

More than 2 million people and livestock in 12 provinces and regions in China are currently suffering from the effects of the dry spell.  A total of 75 million mu of croplands are thirsting for rain.

In related news, California lawmakers passed a $7.5 billion water plan to quench the extremely dry lands of the state which has also been adversely affected by drought.

California has seen effects similar to those in China and the current drought is the longest to have ever hit the region.

TagsEl Nino, China drought, california drought, China agriculture