As Flood Recedes, Victims Strive to Make Living

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 07, 2003

As Flood Recedes, Victims Strive to Make Living

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Although muddy land and soaked crops continue to tell the story of the flood that just devastated Caoji Town of Funan County in east China's Anhui Province, victims have already started efforts to make a living.

Zhang Xiqin, a farmer in her 50s from Caoji, was clearing the dead soybean plants in a field and preparing for a new round of planting.

"We will grow turnips, sunflowers and cabbage," said Zhang. "With the instruction of the agrotechnicians from the town, we may have a harvest in 80 days."

The hard-hit regions along the Huaihe River are still in the shadow of the flood, but farmers living there have started rebuilding their lives. Like Zhang, all the flood victims have gotseeds for a late Autumn harvest free of charge from the governmentand are ready to start the second round of planting.

The mung beans Zhang's family planted after the first flood diversion were washed away in the second diversion. However, the rural woman did not complain.

"We can do nothing when floods come," she said. "But we can make a living with help from the government."

"The relocation of flood victims is much better than in 1991," said Yang Wenjiu, deputy magistrate of Funan County. "All the victims were transferred to a safe place before the first diversion. They have received enough relief goods and are well guided by the government to plant crops after the flood."

The flood this year caused 16 deaths in the Huaihe River Valley,which has a total population of 165 million. The number of victimsthis year is much less than that of 1991.

The cost brought by the flood in Anhui, Jiangsu and Henan provinces is about 18.17 billion yuan (1.96 billion US dollars), with the number of people affected over 47.5 million.

After more than 20 years' economic development, China has greatly improved its capability to deal with disasters.

The isolated islands where flood victims shelter themselves in Gaotai Town of Funan County are still surrounded by floods. But victims there have already started wickerwork to make a living.

Liu Weili, a wickerwork dealer, is happy that the flood did notaffect his business.

"My new computer helps a lot," said Liu, who sold wickerwork worth 200,000 yuan (over 24,100 US dollars) through the Internet and got orders of over 100,000 yuan (over 12,000 US dollars) via e-mail.

The local governments of the flooded areas have taken measures to develop the regional economy. The township government of Tangdian has helped victims to buy cattle and sheep at a low priceto enlarge the scale of livestock breeding after the flooding, said Zhang Zhigang, a local official of Tangdian.

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