Sluice gates closed at Wangjiaba as water level falls
( 2003-07-06 10:24) (Xinhua)
The sluice gates at the Wangjiaba section of the flooded Huaihe River were
closed at six o'clock Saturday morning at the water level of 28.91 meters.
The decision was made to conserve reservoir capacity in the Mengwa Flood
Diversion Area in east China's Anhui Province for possible continued severe
floods, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.
The China Central Meteorological Station has warned that there could be more
rainfall in the next several days in the Huaihe valley and the flooding of the
swollen Huaihe River could remain severe.
The water level was 0.09 meters below the safety line when the gates were
closed. So far, the Mengwa Flood Diversion Area, used for the first time in 12
years, has helped run off 202 million cubic meters of water.
The floodgates at the Wangjiaba section were opened Thursday morning to
divert water from the Huaihe River. The floodwater submerged 12,000 hectares of
farmland.
Since June 21, the Huaihe River valley has been hit by continuous rainstorms
and even torrential rains, leading to a rapid rise of water levels on the upper
and middle reaches of the river.
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