Downpours test dam's ability
- Source: Global Times
- [01:18 July 27 2010]
- Comments
A worker removes trash near a bridge that runs over the Hanjiang River in Wuhan, Hubei Province Monday. The rising water increased the risk of floods after shops and a car park opened near the river. Photo: Xinhua
By An Baijie
The water flow in the Three Gorges Dam is expected to hit 56,000 cubic meters per second tomorrow due to the continuous rain in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
The Yangtze River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters announced Monday that the peak is likely to arrive at about 8 am tomorrow, and that the water level in the dam could rise to 161.5 meters Friday, 12 meters above the reservoir's danger point.
The flood caused by endless rain around the Yangtze River region since June has snuffed out 323 lives and forced 80 million people to relocate, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Engineers at the dam located in Yichang in Hubei Province said the water level in the Three Gorges Reservoir behind the dam could exceed 158.86 meters, which is 13.86 meters above the danger line.
The water flow rate in the Danjiangkou Reservoir from the Hanjiang River, the second largest branch of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province has risen to its highest level in three decades, Xinhua reported.
Cao Guangjing, chairman of China Three Gorges Corporation, told Phoenix TV Monday that tomorrow's new big flow will not pose a threat to the dam.
"The peak flow last Tuesday was 70,000 cubic meters, while it would be just 56,000 cubic meters Wednesday," Cao said. "We have been releasing water from the dam these days to create more space for the upcoming flood."
Local authorities have taken steps to improve rescue efforts and have provided relief supplies to affected residents.
Some residents complained that their lives have changed due to the heavy downpours.
Xu Xinmin, 58, a retiree from Wuhan, Hubei, told the Global Times Monday that thanks to the Three Gorges Dam, the city is buzzing with activity, but the price of fruits and vegetables have gone way up.
"The price of green vegetables has soared five times and the flood has destroyed lots of farmland owed by the local farmers," Xu said.
Liu Yaoping of Shilong township in Wangyuan, Sichuan Province, complained to Xinhua that the local government tents are too shabby.
"The tents leak sometimes because of the poor quality," Liu said. "But it's nice enough that they had such goodwill."
Yangtze River floods have been a burden in 1931, 1945 and 1998. The floods in 1998 killed 4,150 people and forced 18 million people out of their homes. It left economic losses of 255 billion yuan ($38 billion).
Floods also created havoc in other parts of China. Floods, landslides and mud-flows in Shaanxi Province over the past 11 days killed 111 people and 167 remain missing. Rain has been lashing Jinggangshan, Jiangxi Province, which is known as the birthplace of China's Communist revolution.
Xu Shenglan contributed to this story
