Cai Qihua, Yangtze Hydraulic Committee, said, To ease the pressure of middle and lower reaches, the discharge volume of the Three Gorges Dam will be increased from 34 thousand cubic meters per second to 40 thousand cubic meters per second.

The order for increasing discharge is the 14th readjustment for the dam this year. Experts want to make sure that the discharge will keep water at safe levels in lower reaches.

Cai said, Reducing the flow from 70 thousand to 40 thousand cubic meters per second, the Three Gorges Dam will effectively reduce the peak by about 40 percent. Thus greatly reducing the flood pressure downstream.

The discharge volume will be kept at 40 thousand cubic meters per second and may be adjusted depending on the rain situation in coming days.