IANS | 21 Jul, 2024
The Chinese authorities on Saturday initiated a Level-IV emergency
response in three provincial regions as the country continues to face severe
flooding situations.
The regions involved are Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan, which are under
the influence of two tropical depressions intensifying in the South China Sea
and east to the Philippines, respectively, according to the State Flood Control
and Drought Relief Headquarters.
At a joint work conference Saturday, the Ministry of Emergency
Management called on relevant departments to fulfill their responsibilities and
improve the response to rainstorms and flood disasters, Xinhua news agency
reported.
More efforts should be taken to strengthen dam inspections, especially
in key sections, enhance the sharing and coordination of hydrological and
meteorological information, and make good preparations for evacuation to
prevent mass casualties, according to the meeting.
The authorities have also maintained Level-IV emergency responses in
Sichuan, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan and Anhui. Eight work teams
from the central government are helping relief work in flood-prone regions.
The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological
Administration have issued yellow alerts for mountainous flooding in Sichuan,
Yunnan and Xizang. In the past 24 hours, 68 rivers in 12 provincial regions
have faced flood threats exceeding the alert level.
China has a four-tier flood-control emergency-response system, with
Level I being the most severe response, as well as a four-tier color-coded
weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by
orange, yellow and blue.