Low water traps boats on S China's Beijiang river

Some vessels have run aground, as water levels dropped to under a meter in some places due to lower than usual rainfall, it said.

Short but vital, the Beijiang river supplies water to Guangzhou, the provincial capital, and other provincial cities. Industrial plants, including zinc and other metals smelters, line its banks.

River levels in southern China often fall sharply in winter. If too low, local governments may suspend operations of industrial plants along the rivers to avoid pollution levels from rising as waste discharge accumulates.

(Reporting by Lucy Hornby)