China has managed to control the first of this summer's heavy
floods
on one of the major river valleys and also one of the most
populated areas in the country, the State Flood and Drought Control
Headquarters said Tuesday.
The waters of the Huaihe River,
mostly flowing through east China, had all subsided below the
danger level by Tuesday morning, and the nine flooding areas along
the river that had been used to divert floods had been closed.
Most sections of the Huaihe River saw water levels at record highs,
but losses remained dramatically lower than in 1991 when the valley
was last hit by severe floods, according to officials.
The Huaihe, one of China's major rivers, flows eastward and empties
into the Yellow Sea after traversing the country's most populous
regions. A total of 165 million people are living in its vast
valley.
Wang Shucheng, minister of water resources and also deputy
commander-in-chief of the State Flood and Drought Control
Headquarters, said that effective management by the government and
scientific flood-control measures had played a decisive role in
efforts to combat flooding on the Huaihe River this summer.
A
total of 17 water diversion areas on the Huaihe River were used in
the 1991 deluge, but only nine such areas were employed in the face
of bigger floods this year.
This indicated less farmland inundated and less population
relocated and left homeless, said Jing Zhengshu, vice minister of
water resources.
"In the past years TV showed hundreds of thousands of people rushed
to defend the embankments, but fewer such scenes were seen at the
Huaihe River this year," Wang said. "Because this time we counted
on scientific and reasonable maneuvering (of manpower and
resources), and so effectively controlled the floods no matter how
severe they were."
"A
reliance on scientific measures helped change the way we dealt with
floods, turning the stress on 'fighting' floods into the harmonious
coexistence between people and floods. This change will guide
China's flood control efforts in the future," the minister
said.
Scientific flood control requires improved infrastructure. Since
the severe flooding on the Huaihe River in 1991, the government has
stepped up efforts to harness the river. It has invested a total of
10 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) to build a host of anti-flood
projects along the river, which have proven effective during the
floods this summer.
In
addition to reinforced dykes and embankments, reservoirs on the
river stored much of the floodwater, holding back crests that might
cause a huge wave.
The government financed the building of a new waterway at the
middle reaches of the Huaihe to divert floodwater, as well as a
man-made canal to connect the Huaihe River to the Yellow Sea.
The government also contributed to the successful control of the
floods by compensating people who had sacrificed the homes and
property in diversion areas, Wang said.
A
huge number of native residents left their homes, carrying their
children and valuables, while most of appeared calm and quiet.
Although it was hard for them to abandon their homes, they
understood what they had done was for the benefit of the whole
situation, and they knew they would be compensated by the
government.
According to the regulations on compensation incurred in use of
flood diversion areas, people who were displaced due to being
evacuated from flood diversion areas will be properly compensated
after loss verification.
In
flood emergencies this summer, civil affairs, health and finance
authorities reacted in a quick and responsive manner, and
guaranteed flood-affected people food and clothes, shelter and
protection from disease.
Premier Wen Jiabao, who had just returned from the forefront of the
flooding, was much impressed by the flood control efforts he had
seen, saying the work was "scientific, arduous and orderly."
Analysts say the heavy floods on the Huaihe River are seen as
another big challenge facing the new Chinese leadership inaugurated
last March after the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome
this spring.
(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2003)