New data show 5.9 million Chinese face drinking water shortages

BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) — The number of Chinese officially suffering drinking water shortages has more than doubled in less than a week after the government revised its statistics. The State Flood and Drought Relief Headquarters on Friday released new figures showing 5.9 million people with drinking water shortages, more than double that figure of 2.43 million published on Feb. 24. A headquarters spokesman would not elaborate on the revision, but said the situation was due to a lingering and severe winter drought.
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