Measures taken to combat with heavy rain in S. China

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Source: CCTV.com | 06-11-2008 13:39

In south China heavy rain continues to sweep across many provinces and regions including Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Yunnan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang. The authorities have strengthened measures to ensure people's safety and prevent the occurrence of rain-induced disasters such as landslides and mudslides.

In south China heavy rain continues to sweep across many provinces and regions including Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Yunnan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang.

Most parts of Hunan Province have been enduring heavy rainstorms since the start of the week. The cities of Loudi, Huaihua and Shaoyang are the worst affected. Rainfall in Loudi exceeded 150 millimeters. And local authorities ordered the evacuation of residents in 13 townships and villages.

One villager said "There are two elderly people living in my home, and government officials helped me relocate them to a safer area."

Wugang County in Shaoyang City is located in a mountainous region where heavy rainfall presents a high risk of flooding. The local government has distributed evacuation maps to all households, clearly marking danger zones as well as evacuation routes in case of emergency. All hydropower stations and reservoirs have suspended water storage, while some have already started to discharge flood water.

In Jiangxi Province, nearly 1.2 million people in over 60 cities and counties have been affected by heavy rainstorm. And the water in some rivers is nearing the alert level.

One staff of Qinghua Dam in Wuyuan County said "We will open all sluice channels if the water level starts rising by one centimeter per minute."

Heavy rainfall has also caused serious damage in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Local authorities are closely monitoring an area threatened by frequent mountain collapses.

Zhang Yonggang, Vice Mayor of Liuzhou City said "We are ready to evacuate everybody within five minutes if anything happens."

The flooding of the Lijiang River has almost inundated the region's tourism hotspot, Guilin Xiangshan National Park which has been temporarily closed. Weather forecasters say rainfall is expected to be about 30 percent to 70 percent heavier than the same period in previous years. And rain is set to sweep the central province of Hubei, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the east of Sichuan province as well as the southern regions of Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces in the coming days.

Editor:Xiong Qu