Officials have informed that the drought in South China has become so severe that wells have dried up, leaving 18 million people without drinking water.

The Daily Telegraph has also reported that in one village, Xiazha in Guangxi province, records show the three wells have been reliable since at least the early 16th century. Now, all are dry.

Yang Kuanren, a resident of the village, said, "I'm 83 years old and I've never seen anything like this. Not a single drop of water can be seen in our wells. For hundreds of years, we have relied on those wells for irrigation and drinking water and we do not know what to do. It is time to start planting the fields, but the earth is so dry we cannot even plough it."

Some villages in the region have tried digging new wells. But even those sunk hundreds of feet are coming up dry.

At least 5,000 villagers have left their homes in Yunnan, and moved into temporary camps in the Himalayan foothills, taking advantage of the flowing streams there.

Thousands of water trucks has also been sent to the region by the government and mobilized the army to deliver more than 1 million tons of food. (With Inputs from Agencies)