China's drought-control headquarters has sent relief equipment to help combat droughts in Hunan and Hubei provinces on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in central China.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFDH) on Wednesday and Thursday sent water pumps, diesel-fueled power generators and water transportation facilities to the two provinces, said Shu Qingpeng, deputy head of the SFDH Office.

Rainfall in Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces was 20 to 40 percent less than the average in previous years despite more rain in May.

Also, the major rivers in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were about 10 to 70 percent lower than the average in the previous years, Shu said.

Dwindling water levels in the rivers affected agricultural irrigation and water supplies for daily living, and some parts in Hubei and Hunan have serious problems, Shu said.

During the January-April period, the Yangtze River basin received 40 percent less rainfall than the average amount over the past 50 years.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2011)