Barcelona, Spain  - Spring rains have ended the worst drought that north-eastern Spain had experienced for 60 years, doubling the level of water in reservoirs to 43 per cent of their capacity, the local authorities said Tuesday.

The region of Catalonia nevertheless is maintaining emergency measures to guarantee supplies of drinking water in the Barcelona region, such as building a 62-kilometre piping system to divert water from the river Ebro. Water has also been brought in by tanker ships.

The neighbouring Aragon region opposes the Ebro plan, but Catalonia only intends to cancel the emergency measures if water reservoirs become filled to 58 per cent of their capacity. (dpa)