BEIJING — China's Ministry of Water Resources on Feb 4 stressed ensuring water supplies in arid areas of the southern part of the country during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.

The country's drought conditions are much less severe than the same period in previous years, the ministry noted.

Official data showed currently 7.51 million mu (about 500,000 hectares) of arable land is affected by droughts, which is much less than the 22.96 million mu in the same period in recent years. A total of 330,000 people in rural areas currently have difficulties accessing drinking water because of droughts, compared with 1.81 million people in recent years.

According to the ministry, in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian provinces where drought is heavier, about 2.4 million people are suffering water shortage in some urban areas.

With multiple measures taken, water for domestic use is guaranteed in arid areas, the ministry added.