Taipei, March 7 (CNA) Water levels at many reservoirs in Taiwan remain low despite the current weather front bringing rain, because the rainfall was centered mostly in the north of the country.

Several major reservoirs in central and southern Taiwan, where the water shortage has been the most serious, were still at low capacity on Sunday, according to data from the Water Resources Agency (WRA).

As of 10 a.m., the Second Baoshan Reservoir, which provides water for the Hsinchu Science Park, was at 12 percent capacity.

Liyutan Reservoir, which supplies water for Taichung City and Miaoli County in central Taiwan, as well as Zengwen Reservoir in the south, the largest reservoir in the country, were both at 15 percent capacity, according to the WRA.

Meanwhile, two major reservoirs in the north -- Feitsui Reservoir in New Taipei and Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan -- were at 88 and 49 percent capacity, respectively, WRA data showed.

To cope with the drought, the water pressure in Hsinchu County, Miaoli County and Taichung has been lowered, and the WRA has set up pipelines that transport water from Taoyuan to Hsinchu.

The agency also said on Saturday that it would allow science and industrial parks in the country to apply to drill water wells if there is no risk of land subsidence.

Drilling wells is a reasonable and necessary measure in a drought, and the wells will be sealed once the drought ends, said Wang Yi-feng, deputy director-general of the WRA.

Former Economics Minister Yiin Chii-ming has cast doubt on the plan, however, saying that groundwater levels tend to fall during droughts, so it is uncertain how much water the wells could actually generate, according to a local newspaper report.

On Sunday morning, the Irrigation Agency under the Council of Agriculture held a rain worshipping ceremony, praying to the Sea Goddess Mazu to alleviate the drought.

Weather in central and southern Taiwan are forecast to be cloudy with sporadic rain on Sunday, though the regions will enjoy sunny skies for the rest of the week, according to the Central Weather Bureau.