Premier Wu Den-yih ordered government agencies Thursday to step up monitoring of water management in southern Taiwan, as the Kaohsiung and Tainan areas would face a shortage if the current dry spell continues. Although the situation in northern Taiwan has eased after recent rainfall, Wu said the Kaohsiung and Tainan areas could see problems starting in June. 'All government agencies should cooperate in saving water and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) should continue promoting the campaign,' the premier said after hearing a briefing on water supply situations by ministry officials at a weekly Executive Yuan meeting. According to MOEA officials, normal water supply in the two areas could be affected if the amount of rainfall fails to reach 40 percent of the annual average by the end of June. The premier also ordered relevant authorities to take full anti-flooding precautions as typhoon season approaches. Cultivation of rice for the first harvest in some central and southern counties has been suspended to save water. There has been limited precipitation in southern Taiwan since Typhoon Morakot lashed the region in August last year. The effect of government efforts at generating artificial rain has been limited. 