<p>Mexico has declared a drought emergency to enable authorities to take special measures to guarantee water supplies in hard-hit areas.</p>.<p>The steps are designed to deal with the effects of a "severe, extreme or exceptional" drought, the national water authority Conagua said in a statement Tuesday.</p>.<p>Among the measures, holders of water concessions for agricultural or industrial use can be ordered to allow their use by third parties.</p>.<p>Authorities in parts of Mexico, including the northern industrial powerhouse of Monterrey, have been forced to ration water use due to depleted reservoirs.</p>.<p>A heat wave and dearth of rain means that households in Monterrey have had running water for only a few hours a day for several weeks.</p>.<p>In some hillside neighbourhoods, it has been more than 50 days since residents last saw a drop from their faucets.</p>.<p>In the northwestern state of Baja California, a lack of water supplies has sparked protests in some towns.</p>.<p>In parts of Mexico City, such as the impoverished district of Iztapalapa -- home to 1.8 million people -- it is common for the authorities to ration water and send tanker trucks to alleviate shortages.</p>
<p>Mexico has declared a drought emergency to enable authorities to take special measures to guarantee water supplies in hard-hit areas.</p>.<p>The steps are designed to deal with the effects of a "severe, extreme or exceptional" drought, the national water authority Conagua said in a statement Tuesday.</p>.<p>Among the measures, holders of water concessions for agricultural or industrial use can be ordered to allow their use by third parties.</p>.<p>Authorities in parts of Mexico, including the northern industrial powerhouse of Monterrey, have been forced to ration water use due to depleted reservoirs.</p>.<p>A heat wave and dearth of rain means that households in Monterrey have had running water for only a few hours a day for several weeks.</p>.<p>In some hillside neighbourhoods, it has been more than 50 days since residents last saw a drop from their faucets.</p>.<p>In the northwestern state of Baja California, a lack of water supplies has sparked protests in some towns.</p>.<p>In parts of Mexico City, such as the impoverished district of Iztapalapa -- home to 1.8 million people -- it is common for the authorities to ration water and send tanker trucks to alleviate shortages.</p>