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Local gov't taken to court over typhoon losses

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-30 09:31

A farmer in East China's Zhejiang Province is demanding 500,000 yuan (62,500 U.S. dollars) in compensation from the government to cover his losses from a typhoon last year.

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A court in Huangyan district in the city of Taizhou is investigating the case and will hold a hearing next month.

Jiang Gaogen, a farmer in Yuhuan county, said the county government had discharged reservoir water that flooded -- and ultimately destroyed -- his three hectares of ginger.

When Typhoon Haitang arrived in July 2005, Yuhuan county government discharged water from a local reservoir fearing the subsequent rainstorm might destroy the facility where water levels had hit danger level.

By then, Jiang had spent at least 340,000 yuan (42,500 U.S. dollars) on the ginger field, which promised to yield a crop worth 640,000 yuan (80,000 U.S. dollars).

"Deducting the harvesting and marketing costs of 60,000 yuan (7,500 U.S. dollars), the loss is valued at 580,000 yuan (72,500 U.s. dollars) at least," he said.

Jiang received compensation of just 80,000 yuan (10,000 U.S. dollars) in November 2005.

He began proceeding against the government for malpractice last year, but soon dropped the case because he was convinced the government's actions were effective in preventing further damage to the county.

However, the economic losses proved too much and Jiang refiled the compensation claim Monday.