While a cold wave continues to sweep through many parts of northern China, southwestern provinces such as Yunnan are suffering conditions of a different sort. Drought has hampered water supplies after an extremely dry January.

The cracked ground tells a story of running out of water. To 64-year-old Li Qingyou, carrying water has become a daily task. But with the growing drought conditions, the task has become more and more difficult.

With water levels dropping since autumn, it takes more time for Li to get water than usual.

Li Qingyou said, "I have to lower the bucket more than ten meters to get water. Normally, the water level is about two meters down to the well. But since the drought arrived it has kept falling. One of my legs was injured when I served in the army, so I cannot control my balance when carrying water. Most of the time, the bucket is only half full when I arrive home."

After the rainy season last year, water wells in the village started to dry out. Now there is only one well left in the village..

Many people outside the village come to get water due to the worsening drought conditions. Li has no idea when the well is going to run out as his last source of getting water.

Luo Guihua, Li Qingyou's wife, said, "We have to use the water very carefully. After washing vegetables, the water will be used to feed the pigs. It is not convenient for my husband to carry water several times a day because of his injured leg, so we have to use as little water as possible. The scarcity of water makes our life even harder, but what we can do about it?"

Li cannot remember how many times he has walked to get water along this road. To him and most villagers who live nearby, as long as there's water left in the well, there's at least something they can look forward to.

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