<p>Due to the ongoing drought situation, 5.16 million acres of crops have been damaged, according to Xinhua.<br /><br />The local governments in the affected regions must make efforts to monitor drought conditions, speed up construction of water projects and grant subsidies to the drought-affected population, said Chen Lei, deputy head of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief.<br /><br />The National Meteorological Centre has forecast the drought may worsen in the next two months.<br /><br />The drought-hit north China and regions along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers would receive very little rain in February and March, it said.<br /><br />Since last Autumn when the drought began, authorities have assigned 9.55 million people and 2.15 million sets of drought-fighting machinery to draw 8.2 billion cubic metres of water to irrigate the crop land.</p>
<p>Due to the ongoing drought situation, 5.16 million acres of crops have been damaged, according to Xinhua.<br /><br />The local governments in the affected regions must make efforts to monitor drought conditions, speed up construction of water projects and grant subsidies to the drought-affected population, said Chen Lei, deputy head of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief.<br /><br />The National Meteorological Centre has forecast the drought may worsen in the next two months.<br /><br />The drought-hit north China and regions along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers would receive very little rain in February and March, it said.<br /><br />Since last Autumn when the drought began, authorities have assigned 9.55 million people and 2.15 million sets of drought-fighting machinery to draw 8.2 billion cubic metres of water to irrigate the crop land.</p>