Boats 'trapped by low water levels' in China

Depleted water levels in a Chinese river have caused 160 boats to become stranded, it has been reported.

Low water levels in the Beijiang River, located in the southern province of Guangdong, caused the boats to become stuck as levels dropped by around one metre due to a lack of rainfall.

China.org.cn quoted an official from the Beijiang Waterway as saying that "the water level has been dropping over the past three days because of lack of rainfall in this region".

The waterway, which is 486 kilometres in length, supplies water to millions of residents in the province and is one of the most integral in the region, the publication highlighted.

This news comes after the China Environmental Monitoring Centre claimed this week that air quality and water quality in the country has improved over the last year, the China Daily informed.