The five provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu have suffered the most under the limited rainfall. The Ministry of Civil Affairs says nearly 35 million people have been affected.

Among them, about 4 million are experiencing difficulty in obtaining drinking water. China has been discharging water from the Three Gorges Dam，the world's largest water conservation project, to alleviate the drought in the downstream provinces.

Regions along the Yangtze River are suffering the worst drought in half a century. The Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has ordered the Three Gorges Dam, the world's biggest hydroelectric project, to increase its discharge of water from 10 to 20 percent. But the water supply for daily use, irrigation and water transportation in the region still can't meet the demand.

The Three Gorges Reservoir launched its first emergency discharge earlier this month to support the anti-drought efforts of areas along the lower reaches of the Three Gorges Dam.

Li Xuegui, Tech Dept. Director of Three Gorges Cascade Dspatch Center, said, "The water level in Yichan city of Hubei Province has increased by nearly 1.5 meters after the discharge. It's been effective. "

However, the Dam's crippling water supply is another problem. Regular discharges downstream from the Three Gorges Dam have emptied the reservoir of four-fifths of its dischargeable volume. The other one-fifth will be exhausted in less than two weeks.

The China Meteorological Observatory says the region along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will see sunny and hot weather in the coming days, prolonging the drought. The State Disaster Relief Commission on Thursday allocated an emergency fund of 55 million yuan to Hubei and Hunan, the two hardest hit provinces. Source