Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 14, 2003
Official Warns of Better Embankment Protection as Floods Recede
An official with the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Sunday urged more cautious efforts to guard embankments while floods at the middle reaches of the Huaihe River is receding.
An official with the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Sunday urged more cautious efforts to guard embankments while floods at the middle reaches of the Huaihe River is receding.
Cheng Dianlong, vice-director of the office, said the flood crest had flowed through the middle reaches of Huaihe River. However, flood fighters along the middle reaches should maintain vigilance, because the embankments had stood amid floodwater for dozens of days and dangers might occur with receding water.
He urged local flood fighters to strengthen inspection on embankments and deal with dangerous incidents timely to ensure embankment safety.
By Sunday morning, no major threats had been happened along themainstream of the flooding Huaihe River. But on Saturday alone, 214 minor incidents took place along the river or around its flooddiversion areas, all of which had been under control.
A total of 2.58 million local residents and 20,000 policemen and soldiers are fighting against floods along the river.
According to the latest information from the headquarters, hydrological stations of Zhengyangguan and Lutaizi, both at the middle reaches of the Huaihe River, saw record water levels Saturday of 26.8 meters and 26.51 meters respectively. The levels dropped Sunday morning.
Jing Zhengshu, vice-minister of water resources who just came back from the anti-flood front-line on Saturday, stressed that embankment protection efforts should be intensified, because the embankments turn to be weak following weeks of floodwater immersion.