China Braces for More Rain, Urges Intensive Flood Prevention

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 24, 2002

China Braces for More Rain, Urges Intensive Flood Prevention

Downpours struck parts of China from 8:00 am on Saturday to 8:00 am on Sunday and more heavy rain is expected in the next few days.

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Downpours struck parts of China from 8:00 am on Saturday to 8:00 am on Sunday and more heavy rain is expected in the next few days.

According to the Central Meteorological Station's latest information, some areas of Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Sichuan provinces plus Chongqing municipality all experienced rainstorms on Saturday. At the same time, Xinyang and Zhumadian prefectures in central China's Henan Province, Fuyang and Dangshan counties in east China's Anhui Province and Wanyuan county in southwest China's Sichuan Province were hit by torrential downpours.

In the next two days, more rain is expected in the middle and lower reaches of the flood-prone Yangtze River, as well as areas north of the river.

Experts believe that the provinces along the Yangtze River will again be in the front line for floods.

The flood prevention agency of central China's Hunan Province said that the water level of Dongting Lake, the country's second largest freshwater lake which is close to the Yangtze River, had reached a record 30.93 meters after days of heavy rain.

The water level is even higher than during the same period in 1998.

Yang Zhengwu, general secretary of Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, said that judging from the present situation and historical experience, devastating floods quite possibly could occur this year. Therefore, flood prevention work should top the agenda.

He urged more effective leadership in affected areas, saying that rescue teams should be dispatched in advance and rescue materials should be prepared in readiness.

Flood monitoring should be stepped up to keep losses from floods as low as possible, he said.

An earlier report said that successive deluges in mid-June had damaged some dams, channels and reservoirs in the province, reducing its flood control effectiveness.

Last week, China's leaders ordered local governments to do more to protect people from devastating floods.

Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao urged regional authorities at an emergency meeting in Beijing to "take effective measures" to protect lives and property from what threatens to be a miserable summer of flooding.

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