China swings into flood defenses as 97 rivers exceed warning levels

By Liu Caiyu and Shain Jie

China has swung into gear to fortify its flood-defense network ahead of what may be a heavy flood season, with 97 rivers across the country having already exceeded warning levels as of Thursday. 

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Along the Yangtze River basin, 47 reservoirs have been prepared to relieve floods, with a total flood control capacity of 69.5 billion cubic meters. Most of these reservoirs have been discharged to full levels, Wang Wei, an official with the flood and drought disaster prevention office of the Ministry of Water Resources, told state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on Thursday.

The water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir was 150.83 meters as of Wednesday, and it is expected to fall under the flood limit before June 10 as planned, Wang said. The Yangtze River Water Resources Commission urged local authorities to be on 24-hour alert and set up a reporting system to cope with severe flood concerns.

The Ministry of Water Resources said that China is likely to see floods in seven major river basins, CCTV reported. Since May, at least 97 rivers have exceeded warning levels, a rise of about 10 percent from a year earlier.

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