Police Join Yunnan Drought Battle

About 1,000 armed police have been dispatched to help battle a lingering drought in southwest China's Yunnan province by arranging for clean drinking water to be delivered to thirsty mountainous villages.

Starting from Sunday, the police have used 50 water trucks and tankers to aid villagers living in more than 20 rural townships that have been hit by a severe drought that has lasted through most of the winter.

The police are also helping local residents build cisterns to trap and store their own water, the Armed Police Corps of Yunnan said.

The ongoing drought has affected people in 15 prefectures and municipalities, leaving 3.19 million people and 1.58 million livestock short of drinking water in Yunnan.

Source: Xinhua