Prevention measures taken to cope with flood threats

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Source: CCTV.com | 06-19-2008 13:53

Floods triggered by heavy rainstorms are posing serious threats to many vulnerable areas in south China. But people there seem to be facing up to the challenges with confidence. In Wuzhou City of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a solid embankment is giving the residents a sense of security. And in Anhui, drills are being organized to cope with emergencies.

In Congyang County of Anhui province, evacuation drills are being held to cope with floods caused by the Yangtze River.

Everything looks orderly on this commercial street right next to the Xijiang River. But just outside this long-stretching embankment, the river has become swollen and muddy. The biggest flood peak in 20 years passed the city several days ago, pushing the water level well above the street and other areas. But there has been no trace of accumulated flood water in the city since then.

Li Jianxiong, Deputy Director of Wuzhou Water Resources Department said "The whole embankment stretches as far as 12.8 kilometers. And it took 670 million yuan to build it. The project started in 1998 and concluded in 2003. It has stood the test of the serious flood in 2005 and this year's flood peak. It's like a protective shield for us."

On the same street, many storefronts were left unkept because damage caused by floods was expected. But with the embankment in place, the street has taken on a new look.

Lei Yaojian, clothing store manager said "We renovated the store about a month and a half ago. We knew the rainy season had come and floods were probably inevitable, but with the embankment here, floods haven't caused damages in the past few years."

Local residents say business was bad before the embankment was built. But now the street is full of stores. Many locals still have vivid memories of their everyday life during previous floods.

One Wuzhou resident said "Even the vegetable markets were flooded in the past. And we had to row a boat to buy vegetables. And the prices were twice or even three times more expensive than normal days."

Vestiges of the old days still exist in the street. Iron rings can be found on the pillars of nearly every storefront. Locals say the rings were used to anchor boats when floods came. But now, the rings have become just simple decorations.

In Congyang County of Anhui province, evacuation drills are being held to cope with floods caused by the Yangtze River. The drills are well-organized, and in just 30 minutes, these stranded villagers were evacuated to ferry boats.

Local villager said "We are more experienced through the drills. If real dangers came, we would leave in an orderly manner, no matter if it's day or night."