June 23, 2022
BEIJING – A “grim” and “complicated” flood control situation in the Pearl River basin has triggered the highest-level emergency response from local flood control headquarters, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.
Following recent heavy torrential rains, the Beijiang River is forecast to suffer from unusually severe flooding, the ministry said in a media release late on Tuesday.
As it continues to rise, the Xijiang River is expected to flood for the fourth time this year and water levels will remain high for an extended period of time.
Given the situation, the Pearl River’s flood control headquarters raised the emergency response from Level II to Level I at 10 pm on Tuesday.
China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I representing the most severe response.
Heavy rainfall is forecast in the upper reaches of Xijiang from Monday to Wednesday, further exacerbating the situation along the watercourse, Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources, told flood control authorities during a video consultation conference.
“The flood control situation in the Pearl River basin is complicated, grim and urgent,” he stressed.
He demanded all-out efforts to enhance precautionary measures to prevent casualties from happening and dams from collapsing.
Water should be diverted to reservoirs to help prevent flooding and relieve areas downstream of flood control pressures, he noted.
A photo shows an emergency response truck parked in the middle of a flooded street in Dexing of Jiangxi province, June 21, 2022. [Photo/IC]
A worker inspects a flooded section of the Shanghai-Kunming High-speed Railway, June 21, 2022. [Photo/IC]
Firefighters and emergency workers rescue people trapped by floods in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, on Tuesday. The city upgraded its flood control emergency response to level I on Tuesday afternoon, as around 470,000 residents were affected by heavy rain in the area. [Photo/Xinhua]
Firefighters and emergency workers rescue people trapped by floods in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, on Tuesday. The city upgraded its flood control emergency response to level I on Tuesday afternoon, as around 470,000 residents were affected by heavy rain in the area. [Photo/Xinhua]
Firefighters and emergency workers rescue people trapped by floods in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, on Tuesday. The city upgraded its flood control emergency response to level I on Tuesday afternoon, as around 470,000 residents were affected by heavy rain in the area. [Photo/Xinhua]