Hubei blows up dike to disperse surging floodwaters

Source:Global Times Published: 2016/7/14 18:23:16

Explosives are used to blow up the embankment between Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake. Photo: CFP


At 7 am Thursday morning, soldiers used explosives to break the embankment between Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake in Hubei Province to relieve the water of Liangzi lake which was above alert level. After the operation, water from Liangzi Lake, where its level was at least one-meter higher than that of Niushan Lake, flowed across the embankment, joining the two lakes together.

People observe the moment when the Liangzi Lake water flows into Niushan Lake, joining the two lakes together, on July 14, 2016. Photo: CFP


The Hubei provincial government Tuesday decided to break the embankment between Liangzi Lake and Niushan Lake, to prevent floodwater from flowing over the dike. Liangzi Lake is Hubei's second-largest lake, located at the cross-section of Wuhan, Ezhou and Xianning cities. Heavy rainfall raised the water level of the lake to about 21.48 meters. Before breaking the flood embankment, 1,658 residents were evacuated.

Wuhan in Hubei Province has been especially hit hard by the heavy rains and flooding, with 570 milimeters of rainfall during the first week of July, surpassing the record of 1991. At least 27 people have been killed in the province and 400,000 have been evacuated.

Jianghan District Bureau of Water Resources staff Tang Renqing and Li Jianqiang arrange sandbags to guard a dike on the bank of the Yangtze River near the Temple of the Dragon King in Wuhan. Photo: IC


On the other hand, on July 2, the water level at the Yangtze River in Wuhan rose by 1.3 meters, posing a serious threat to the dike. Jianghan District Bureau of Water Resources staff Tang Renqing and Li Jianqiang signed a life and death pledge which was meant to give confidence to other colleagues and the city residents.

A plate carrying the "life and death pledge" hung at the site where the flood prevention staff guard the dike. Photo: CFP


The bureau staff literally sat on top of a load of sandbags to guard a dike on the bank of the Yangtze River near the Temple of the Dragon King in Wuhan.

Back in 1998, Tang and Li had been on guard as flood protection staff for more than a month, which adversely affected their physical and mental health. To spur their colleagues to stay in their positions, Tang had written a "life and death pledge" on their notice board which read, "If I'm present, the dike will always be here; I will live and die for the dike". The pledge is still in effect today.

Currently, the water at the dike has stabilized but is still over the one-meter safety alert level. Tang and others have held their ground. 

The dike near the Temple of the Dragon King prevents flooding of Wuhan. Photo: CFP


Heavy rains since the middle of june have triggered deadly floods in many parts of southern China, causing severe disruption to normal life. During the past month, many other parts of the country have also suffered from heavy rains and flooding. It is estimated that 32 million people across 26 provinces have been affected and 186 people have lost their lives, with damage to state property estimated at around US$5.73 billion. Flooding of this magnitude was last seen in the country in 1998.


Newspaper headline: Keeping floodwaters at bay


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