The worst drought in half a century has parched fields across eight provinces in northern China and left nearly four million people without proper drinking water.

Not a drop of rain has fallen on Beijing for more than 100 days, the longest dry spell for 38 years in a city known for its arid climate. The Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters described the drought as a phenomenon “rarely seen in history” as the Government declared a state of emergency.

President Hu Jintao said that all efforts must be made to save the summer grain harvest.

The drought could hardly have come at a worse time for the leadership, which is already gearing for possible social instability with some 20 million rural migrants now out of work after losing their jobs in coastal factories and in cities. Many have returned to work their farms while they wait for the economic climate to improve but may now find they are unable to grow a harvest with no water for irrigation.

"The duration, scope and impact of the drought are rare," said Zheng Guoguang, chief of the China Meteorological Administration.

Among the worst hit provinces is central Henan, the most populous in China and source of the highest number of migrant workers. No rain has fallen in the province for 105 days, state media said today.

The China Daily newspaper said that it was the worst drought since 1951 in the province, which is a major supplier of winter wheat. Major state-run newspapers carried reports of the drought on front pages and news broadcasts showed dry, cracked fields with crops withering in the earth.

Almost half of the wheat-growing areas in the eight provinces - Hebei, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi and Gansu - were threatened.

The absence of rain or snow since November has affected 9.5 million hectares of farmland - 43 per cent of the winter wheat sources.

One agriculture expert said that the drought could reduce annual production in major wheat-growing areas by 2 to 5 percent. Ma Wenfeng said: “The severest-hit regions of Henan and Anhui will see their wheat harvest down by about 20 percent.”

Water shortages, exacerbated by the relentless demands of a rapidly growing economy, are among the main long-term worries for the Government.

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