Floods disrupt lives of 350,000 in China ( 2003-10-14 00:19) (Xinhua)
About 350,000 people are being affected by sudden and heavy rainfall and
floods in the Yellow and Huaihe river valleys.
Local authorities reported that the sudden rain over the weekend has affected
about 260,000 people in Zibo of Shandong Province. Some people's houses have
collapsed and there has been widespread crop damage.
Experts said the flood situation along the lower reaches of the Yellow River
will not ease for another month.
The continuous rainfall along the Yellow River has caused dykes to collapse
in the Lankao section of the river in Central China's Henan Province. About 247
square kilometres of land in neighbouring Shandong Province have been flooded
because of breaks in the dyke system. The flood has left about 96,800 people
stranded but no deaths have been reported so far.
Apart from Shandong and Henan, people in Shaanxi Province through which the
middle reaches of the Yellow River flow, have been fighting floods since
August.At least 23 people died when their houses collapsed during five days of
torrential rain in the province last week.
Last month, the worst rains in 40 years in the normally dry province killed
dozens of people and forced half a million others to flee their homes.
County officials have asked residents to leave their houses if they are in
danger of collapsing.
The flood-prone Huaihe River saw its fifth crest this year as heavy rains
continued along its upper reaches.
The water level between Wangjiaba and Runheji in Anhui was expected to reach
27.6 metres by 2 pm yesterday, 1.1 metres higher than the warning level, said
Anhui provincial flood control headquarters.
A headquarters' spokesman there said the high water level threatened most of
the dykes in the diversion areas.
He said the headquarters had already sent three special teams of flood
control experts to key areas to direct flood control work.
All flood control offices at city and county levels have been ordered to
closely monitor water levels, and a 24-hour-a-day report mechanism has been
established, he said.
Official figures show the heavy floods along the Huaihe River this summer
claimed at least 16 lives and caused 18.17 billion yuan (US$ 2.2 billion) in
direct economic losses in Anhui, Jiangsu and Henan provinces.
Earlier this month, the Chinese Government announced a planned investment of
38 billion yuan (US$4.6 billion) in flood control projects along the Huaihe
River in the next five years to better contain the flood-prone river.
Half of the investment will be spent in Anhui Province alone, through which
most of the river runs.
The reconstruction of dozens of water control projects, which were allowed to
fall into disrepair in the 1950s because of lack of funds, will also be
undertaken in provinces along the river.
The new investment plan includes the construction of waterlogging prevention
projects, the relocation of people living in water diversion areas and dredging
of the river's main course and tributaries.
Wang Shucheng, minister of water resources, said that the country will
transfer its flood control focus to the Huaihe River, as this year's planned
embankment construction along the Yangtze and Yellow rivers has been completed.