Water shortage affects more than six million people in Philippine

More than six million people have been affected by a water shortage in large areas of the Philippine capital and a nearby province, with long lines forming for rationed water.

A spokesman for Manila Water Co Inc, Jeric Sevilla, said Thursday that water supplies will be cut for several hours a day for 6.8 million people in more than a million households until the rainy season fills dams and reservoirs in May or June.

The company says a spike in demand and reduced water levels in a dam in the sweltering summer are the culprits, exacerbated by El Nino weather conditions.

Congress is to hold inquiries next week into the cause of the crisis, reports AP.