China ramps up restoration works in flood-affected northern regions

Rescuers perform drainage operation in downtown Zhuozhou, north China's Hebei Province, on Aug. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Mu Yu)

SHIJIAZHUANG/BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- As floodwaters recede in north China's Hebei Province and Beijing, the disaster relief efforts in the regions are transitioning from emergency rescue and evacuation to recovery, aimed at restoring normalcy to people's lives at the earliest.

In Zhuozhou City, one of the worst-affected areas in Hebei, previously relocated residents have begun to return home, local authorities said Sunday.

Residents, volunteers and rescue personnel are actively involved in dredging, disinfection, and drainage works to repair the damage in affected communities.

As of Monday morning, electricity has been restored in 93 residential communities in Zhuozhou, with over 90 percent of the main urban zone's neighborhoods having their power supply reinstated, according to the State Grid Zhuozhou Electric Power Supply Company.

A total of 1,470 road sections in the province that were previously cut off by flooding have been reopened as of 6 p.m. on Sunday. This was achieved through the installation of emergency bridges and the opening of temporary roads, ensuring seamless transportation for relief personnel and supplies, according to the Hebei Provincial Department of Transportation.

The department has intensified inspections at road sections that remain partially accessible, promptly clearing debris on slopes, handling road collapses, and mitigating potential hazards.

To minimize agricultural losses, the province is conducting a detailed survey and assessment of the extent of crop, livestock and aquaculture damages in the flood-affected areas, according to the Hebei Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Zhao Xiaoming, the person in charge of a family farm in Hebei's Anping County, said he can finally breathe a sigh of relief seeing the water level in the fields significantly decreasing. "The government provided us with water pumping equipment, which helped save our crops for this year."

Over 460 water pumps have been deployed across affected farmlands in Anping for drainage operations. A team of specialists has offered on-site guidance for disease and pest control and crop replanting.

In Handan City, an animal disinfection team has undertaken the task of gathering deceased chickens from a poultry farm. These carcasses were then carefully transported to a dedicated facility, where they undergo safe and professional disposal.

In the Chinese capital of Beijing, a total of over 440 km of rural roads in the nine towns of the suburban Mentougou District, which was heavily battered by rain early last week, had been reopened as of 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the district government.