The water level in the flood-prone Dongting Lake in central China's
Hunan Province receded yesterday, but experts warned that the
danger has not yet passed.
The level is likely to rise again as heavy rain may fall on the
upper reaches of the Yangtze River and Hunan by tomorrow, according
to sources from the provincial meteorological observatory.
Hunan's flood control headquarters issued an emergency notice
yesterday, requiring more detailed inspections of dykes endangered
by continuous high water level.
The water level at Chenglingji, where the lake connects with the
flooding Yangtze River, stood at 34.85 meters at 3 pm yesterday,
down 6 centimeters from 2 am, according to the local flood control
headquarters. However, the level still exceeded the warning level
by 2.85 meters.
The flood peak in the Yangtze River reached Yueyang in Hunan
Province on Saturday evening and pushed the lake level to 34.91
meters, the highest level this year.
More than 1 million people, including soldiers and farmers, were
preparing yesterday to battle a flood crest on the lake, where
rising waters have threatened to engulf millions of people living
in the area.
On
Friday, the flood control headquarters in Yueyang punished 16
government officials for dereliction of duty at the front line of
the battle against the flood. Most of the 16 slept or left their
posts while they were supposed to be inspecting the dykes and
finding any hidden dangers.
In
Changde in Hunan Province, a dozen illegally dug wells were plugged
up because they were located only around 150 meters from some dykes
and posed a threat to the dykes.
Three people were arrested for violating the law on flood controls,
according to an official with the Changde flood control
headquarters.
Central China's Hubei Province was also endangered by the high
water level of the Yangtze River. The biggest flood peak since the
Yangtze River began its autumn flooding passed Jianli yesterday
morning without causing any problems.
Throughout China, nearly 1,070 people have been killed since June
by the flooding and landslides caused by the heavy rainfall and
more than 80,000 have been injured.
(Xinhua News
Agency August 26, 2002)