Drought causes concern in Beijing
Source: Xinhua |
February 2, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BEIJING is likely to suffer its longest winter drought in 60 years, with no snow or rain likely to fall in the city within the next 10 days, the municipal meteorological bureau's chief weatherman said yesterday.
Sun Jisong said if the drought lasts another 14 days, it will be the capital city's longest since the bureau started keeping records in 1951.
The city's current record winter drought occurred in the winter between 1970 ann 1971, when no rain fell for 114 days.
Sun said the lingering drought increases the risk of fire and disease in the city.
But, with tap water supplies uninterrupted, many of the city's residents have hardly noticed the crisis.
But Zhang Tiecheng, deputy head of Nanjiao Village in the city's southwestern district of Fangshan, said in the past, villagers used to get their water from wells drilled as deep as 200 meters - now they are up to 800 meters deep.
Winter precipitation, though accounting for only two percent of the city's yearly total, is important for replenishing the underground aquifer.
Hu Bo, a Beijing Water Affairs Bureau official, said Beijing has been taking water from neighboring Hebei Province since October and will do so until March.
"I dare not think how severe the city's water crisis will be once the water supply from Hebei ends," he said.
Beijing's water shortage crisis is expected to ease when the South-to-North Water -Diversion Project is completed in 2014.
The project will draw water from rivers in the south of the country and transport it over 3,600 kilometers to the drier north.
Sun Jisong said if the drought lasts another 14 days, it will be the capital city's longest since the bureau started keeping records in 1951.
The city's current record winter drought occurred in the winter between 1970 ann 1971, when no rain fell for 114 days.
Sun said the lingering drought increases the risk of fire and disease in the city.
But, with tap water supplies uninterrupted, many of the city's residents have hardly noticed the crisis.
But Zhang Tiecheng, deputy head of Nanjiao Village in the city's southwestern district of Fangshan, said in the past, villagers used to get their water from wells drilled as deep as 200 meters - now they are up to 800 meters deep.
Winter precipitation, though accounting for only two percent of the city's yearly total, is important for replenishing the underground aquifer.
Hu Bo, a Beijing Water Affairs Bureau official, said Beijing has been taking water from neighboring Hebei Province since October and will do so until March.
"I dare not think how severe the city's water crisis will be once the water supply from Hebei ends," he said.
Beijing's water shortage crisis is expected to ease when the South-to-North Water -Diversion Project is completed in 2014.
The project will draw water from rivers in the south of the country and transport it over 3,600 kilometers to the drier north.
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