Anhui Province in east China is gearing up efforts to guard against flooding on the Huaihe River, the country's sixth longest.

The water level monitored at Wangjiaba, a main hydrological station on the upper middle reaches of the river, rose to 27.91 meters at 8 a.m. on Friday, 0.41 meters above the danger line. And the water flow was 3,200 cu m per second.

It is expected that the second flood crest will appear at Wangjiaba on Saturday, and the water flow will be 3,500 cu m per second, said the Huaihe River Water Resources Committee of the Ministry of Water Resources.

The rising level of the river was caused by concentrated rainfall in the valley of the Huaihe River from Monday through to Wednesday, said the committee.

The first flood crest occurred on April 22, and the water level monitored at Wangjiaba was 27.78 meters. It was the largest spring flooding since 1964.

Flood control and drought relief officials from Anhui were told on Thursday to improve the system of responsibility in flood control, step up embankment patrols, and keep a close watch on water quality in Wohe and Yinghe, two tributaries of Huaihe, and give prompt warnings to ensure the safety of drinking water.

The Huaihe, one of China's most flood-prone rivers, runs between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, running through Henan Province in central China and Anhui and Jiangsu provinces before entering the Yangtze River via Hongze Lake.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2008)