Chinese Water Resources Vice Minister E Jingping has warned the local
authorities of a rising possibility of natural disasters such as floods and
droughts in Chinese major rivers this year.
Also acted as secretary
general of China's Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, he alerted
local officials against torrential floods, continued droughts and typhoon in
some areas.
Major Chinese rivers, including the Yangtze and Yellow
rivers, have not seen serious floods in recent years. It increases the
possibility of heavy floods this year based on natural rules, he said.
As for drought, the vice minister said inadequate rainfall has plagued
Chinese rivers since August last year, The middle and lower reaches of the
Yangtze River have been experiencing a sharp fall in the water level, affecting
the water supply for both industrial and agricultural use.
Water flow
into the major rivers and lakes has dropped by 40 percent on average, with that
of Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake plummeting by 60 percent and 10 percent
respectively.
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