A citizen in Changsha pushes his bicycle along the dried riverbed on Nov. 15.

Several fishing vessels dock beside the dried riverbed of the Xiangjiang River on Nov. 15.

 Two students from Hunan University take samples from the river for experiments on Nov. 15.

Since the beginning of September, Changsha, capital city of China’s eastern central Hunan Province, has been hit by drought. The main causes of the 60-day plus exceptional drought are insufficient rainfall and water flow from the upper reaches of rivers passing through the city. The autumn drought has challenged the city’s normal water supply operations, water quality maintenance, hydroelectric generation and navigation. Appropriate departments have taken measures, such as diverting water resources, in order to guarantee drinking water safety.

(China.org.cn November 16, 2007)