Authorities in north and northeast China have intensified flood relief and reconstruction work, striving for excellence in the processes of evacuation and resettlement.
At present, the flood in north China’s Hebei Province is gradually receding, and the affected areas are speeding up repairs and restoration.
In Xiazhuang Village of Baoding City, more than 800 villagers and merchants have returned to their homes following the restoration of transportation, power and telecommunication facilities.
“The government used vehicles to clear away all the silt. They also gave us water and instant noodles, restored telecommunication signals, and carried out comprehensive disinfection work. The government has done many, many things for us,” said Jin Xiantang, a villager.
At the same time, Hebei authorities continued to carry out disaster relief efforts in the resettlement of the affected people. The provincial government organized more than 960 mobile medical teams to provide medical services in the flood-stricken areas.
Beijing also stepped up recovery and reconstruction work. Focusing on the three suburban districts of Fangshan, Mentougou, and Changping, the Chinese capital has launched six special actions focusing on community dredging, environmental improvement, and drinking water safety.
In Fangshan District, the post-disaster housing evaluation work was carried out in an orderly manner. Up to now, more than 5,000 households have completed the assessment.
In Mentougou District, rescue forces arrived in flood-hit areas on Tuesday to carry out dredging and other recovery work with the help of heavy machinery.
“When trouble occurs at one spot, help comes from all quarters. So many people have come to help us rebuild our home so that we can restore normal production as soon as possible,” said Zhang Honggang, a villager from Mentougou.
A total of 33 people died and 18 others remain missing in the latest round of heavy rainfall in Beijing, local authorities said on Wednesday.
To the southeast of Beijing, in Tianjin Municipality, key flood channels such as the Daqing River continue to operate at high water levels. As of Monday, the People’s Liberation Army and the armed police in Tianjin have sent about 7,000 responders to the flood fighting and rescue missions of the Daqing River.
“We pay close attention to the key parts of flood control and are further strengthening the inspection and patrol of flood channels, dikes and other areas in the floodplain to effectively protect the dams and ensure the safety of people’s lives and property,” said Hao Xiulei, head of the comprehensive law enforcement brigade of Taitou Town, Tianjin.
Mudanjiang City, in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, saw some embankments become severely flooded, trapping 71 villagers on Tuesday. The armed police officers rushed to the scene with speedboats and rescue equipment. After more than three hours of rescue, all the trapped people were successfully evacuated.
As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, nine rivers in Heilongjiang had exceeded warning water levels.
“We strengthened monitoring, forecasting and early warning, and evacuated all 672 people who are at risk from villages along the river to avoid danger. All gates along the river in urban areas are closed, and navigation on the river is banned,” said Liu Baoguo, deputy director of the flood control and drought relief headquarters office of Jiamusi City.
Elsewhere in northeast China, the flood peak of the Lalin River passed through Fuyu City, Jilin Province, on Tuesday. Affected by the flood peak, a section of the Beijing-Harbin Expressway was flooded. The expressway management department took temporary measures to close the road section.
“We kept people on duty at the road blockage points and arranged centralized resettlement for special groups, ensuring food, accommodation, water and electricity supply for them,” said Sun Hongjun, deputy mayor of Caijiagou Town in Fuyu City.
In the past few days, Shulan City of Jilin Province has organized various forces to step up the repair of infrastructure. At present, power has been restored to all users affected by the flood. As of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, a total of 282.2 kilometers of roads damaged by the flood had been repaired.
Apart from the efforts from local governments, central government ministries and departments have also issued measures to support the disaster relief work.
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs urgently issued more than 730 million yuan (around $101 million) as disaster relief funds for agricultural production, and stepped up efforts in agricultural flood prevention and disaster relief and post-disaster agricultural production recovery.
According to the National Administration of Financial Regulation, as of Tuesday morning, insurance institutions in 16 disaster-stricken regions including Hebei, Beijing, and Heilongjiang have received more than 200,000 insurance reports, with estimated losses reaching seven billion yuan (around $1 billion). So far, upwards of 68,000 cases have been paid out.
“For cases where liability and loss are clear, compensation will be processed quickly. At present, agricultural insurance can make quick compensation after the loss is confirmed. In the fastest case, the loss can be determined, and the compensation will be paid on the same day. We will do our best to help the affected farmers resume production and life as soon as possible,” said Mao Qiang, senior manager of the customer service claims department under the agricultural affairs management center of China Pacific Insurance.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has speed up the restoration of damaged telecommunication facilities in Beijing, Hebei, Heilongjiang and other places. As of Tuesday, more than 200,000 emergency repair personnel have been dispatched and more than 10,000 damaged telecommunication base stations have been repaired.
The Ministry of Water Resources has dealt with the drinking water difficulties of more than 450,000 people in Hebei through measures such as repairing water supply projects, opening new water sources, and setting up centralized water supply points.(CGTN)
