Ministry of Water Resources Holds Meeting to Address Key Defense Work in Water Conservancy Committees
On August 7, Li Guoying, deputy commander of the National Defense Command and minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, chaired a special meeting to discuss and deploy current key defense work with the Haihe and Songliao Water Conservancy Committees of the Ministry of Water Resources.
The flood situation in the Songhua River Basin is still evolving, causing 85 rivers to exceed the warning level. This has resulted in a wide range of implications and multiple rivers surpassing the warning level. The operation of the flood detention area is in a critical period, and the defense task remains arduous.
Li Guoying presented five requirements concerning flood control in the Songhua River Basin during the meeting. Firstly, immediate flood evolution conduction forecasts should be made for rivers where the flood is evolving, based on the measured flood peak volume. Risk points along the downstream should be identified in advance, and proactive measures such as relocating people in dangerous areas, constructing sub-dikes, and reinforcement sections should be taken. Secondly, embankment defenses should be prioritized for rivers where floodwaters are receding to ensure the safety of flood control as the waters return to their gutters. Thirdly, reservoirs should be operated at a high water level, and effective measures must be implemented during intermittent rainfall periods to reduce the water level and prevent reservoir collapse. The safety of downstream areas should be ensured during large flow releases. Fourthly, early warning information should be immediately issued when the flood number standard is reached in the main stream of the Songhua River, and the corresponding response mechanism should be activated, focusing on embankment defense. Finally, close monitoring of the development and changes of Typhoon No. 6 “Kanu” is necessary, specifically regarding its impact on heavy rainfall on various rivers. Flood prevention measures should be implemented in advance.
In terms of flood control in the Haihe River Basin, Li Guoying emphasized three requirements. Firstly, an accurate understanding of the total flood volume and process of the Daqing River system is crucial. Key defense targets, such as the embankment of the newly built flood diversion channel, the embankment of the Dongdian flood storage and detention area, and the embankment of the Duliu River, must be well defended to ensure flood control safety in important areas. Secondly, the distribution of flood retention in the flooded area of the Yongding River should be properly assessed. Risk points should be identified in advance, and teams, materials, and equipment should be pre-arranged to guarantee the safety of embankments in the flooded area. Finally, scientific dispatch of tide-proof gates for the Duliujian River and Yongdingxin River, as well as timely trace-back scour dispatch, will help reduce sediment deposition before and after the tide-proof gates, ensuring the safety of the embankment of Duliujian River and Yongdingxin River.
The Ministry of Water Resources is actively working to address the flood control challenges in both the Songhua and Haihe River Basins. With an effective implementation of the recommended strategies, it is hoped that the flood control measures will safeguard the impacted areas, protect lives, and mitigate the damage caused by the ongoing floods.
Source: The Paper
Editor: Don Harbor