BEIJING - This year's drought is not as bad as those of previous years and will have a limited impact on China's autumn grain production, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said Tuesday.

The drought has affected 70.34 million mu (about 4.69 million hectares) of arable land, 51 percent less than previous years.

The drought will not have a major impact on the country's autumn agricultural production as the regions are not the major grain-growing areas, according to a statement on the headquarters' website.

This year's drought also left 6.86 million people and 6.01 million livestock short of drinking water.

The provinces of Guizhou, Gansu and Yunnan as well as Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have been worst hit.

China's drought relief authorities have deployed more than 90,000 people to fight drought since the start of the year, according to the statement.