China has reached the worst situation in 144 years. On the one hand, 66 rivers, including the largest Yangtze, have almost dried up. On the other hand, fire is raining from the sky. That means record heat is falling. Chinese meteorologists have predicted this. Due to this, the problem of heat wave will continue till August 26. During this time, there will be a record rise in temperature in many places. Due to this situation of drought, the citizens of China have to go through a big problem of water.
- 66 rivers dried up, including China’s largest river, the Yangtze
- Due to the drought, the production of electricity generated by hydropower decreased by 80 percent
- Drinking water supply to millions of people
- The biggest power crisis in China
- Temperatures reached 49 degrees in many cities
China’s Ministry of Emergency Situations released a figure last week. It was said that China suffered 2.73 billion yuan or 400 million dollars in losses due to the heat wave in July alone. It has negatively affected 55 lakh people. China’s GDP was projected to grow by 5.5 percent in the first quarter of 2022, but it grew by only 2.5 percent due to drought and heat, the ministry said.
On the other hand, extreme heat has created a water crisis in China. According to China’s Ministry of Water Resources, the water level in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River has reached its lowest level. This is the river through which more than half of the population gets drinking water. Apart from this, hydropower work is also done from the water of this river. The water of this river is also used for agriculture. Due to which people in China are facing the crisis of drought.
Wall Street General has released a report on this. According to this, there has been 40% less rain in China this time. This is the lowest rainfall figure since 1961. The heat is continuously increasing from above. Temperatures have reached 49 degrees Celsius in many Chinese cities. Electricity consumption has also increased due to heat. On the other hand, the production of electricity generated from hydropower has decreased. The heat has also affected agriculture. Demand for water for agriculture has increased. More water was taken from rivers for irrigation. Because of this, China’s largest river Yangtze has completely dried up in many places. Its size has also reduced a lot. Apart from this, 66 other rivers in China have also completely dried up.
In which provinces is the situation worse?
A severe drought in China’s Jiangxi province has reduced the size of Poyang Lake by a quarter this year. On the other hand, Chongqing region has received 60 percent less rainfall this year. In Baibe District, north of Chongqing, the temperature exceeded 45 degrees Celsius. Half a dozen of China’s ten most hot spots are in Chongqing. Chongqing is in bad shape due to the scorching heat. Incidents of forest fires have increased here. 66 rivers in 34 provinces in southwest China have dried up due to rising temperatures. The situation is even worse in Sichuan and Hubei provinces. People here are also facing great difficulty for drinking water.
Crops are destroyed, people do not get drinking water
Drought has destroyed 6-7 lakh hectares of crops in Hubei province. Similarly, 1 million hectares of crops have been destroyed in Henan province. Agriculture in Sichuan has also been affected by the drought. Crops of more than 10 lakh hectares have been destroyed here. More than eight lakh people are said to be affected. They have shortage of drinking water. The Chinese government is trying to save the crop. For this, rain is being applied to the crop by helicopter. Drinking water is being provided to the people.