• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

2 | Monday, July 20, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO Village: Relief shelter houses hundreds From page 1 “I later discovered home applian- ces under the water on the ground floor, which was about 1 meter deep. I couldn’t help crying, because I’d never been in such a terrible situa- tion,” Huang said. Since July 9, he and more than 800 other villagers affected by the flooding have been staying at the relief station, set up in a primary school in Poyang, the county seat. On July 11, Huang returned home by boat to retrieve some clothing. He lives alone at the house, which was renovated last year. His wife works in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and his son and daughter are also away. He said his children have phoned many times to comfort him and to tell him not to worry about posses- sions lost to the flooding. Huang said he has been told the floodwaters will not subside com- pletely until the end of next month. He is not unduly worried about his farm produce and belongings, as there is little he can do but wait. However, what bothers him most is his son’s wedding. The ceremony, due to be held at Huang’s house at the end of this year, looks as though it will fall victim to the flooding. The house will also need to be renovated again once the waters subside. To calm his nerves, Huang lit a cigarette with a lighter borrowed from a villager at the shelter, where 17 people sleep in a single classroom. Taking a gentle puff, he said he is worried that because of the flood- ing, he may not have enough money for the wedding. Since the start of this year, the family has had almost no income and only has savings of 200,000 Longkou village in Poyang county, Jiangxi province, stands inundated by floodwaters on Thursday. FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY yuan, about half the cost of the wed- ding and other arrangements, he said. “We thought my wife, my son and myself could earn some money this year and borrow some from my daughter and other relatives. But now everyone has been affected by the flooding, it will be difficult to borrow,” he said. Comparison with 1998 Locals are comparing the flood- ing in southern China with that in 1998, which killed more than 3,000 people and displaced 14 million along the Yangtze River Basin. Since last month, continuous tor- rential rain has fallen in many areas of the south, and the waters of riv- ers, including the Yangtze, have exceeded warning levels. More than 20 million residents have been affected in 24 provincial-level areas nationwide. This month, flooding in Jiangxi, Anhui and Hubei provinces has left 23 people dead or missing and forced Left: Huang Mengjie, a 2-year-old from Guihu village, Poyang county, is given food at the disaster relief shelter on Wednesday. Right: A resident reaches his home in Longkou the evacuation of 1.76 million. The by boat on Thursday. PHOTOS BY FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY waters also damaged 89,000 houses this month, the Ministry of Emer- r gency Management said on Thurs- just hoped things would get better. ive e R day. The COVID-19 pandemic also meant gtz Yan The floods in 1998 were some of we had to postpone planting and the worst since the People’s Republic other farming activities. This year of China was founded in 1949. will be hard for everyone in the fami- Wu Hejiao, 62, also from Guihu, ly,” she said. who is staying at the relief station While the Guihu villagers are Jiangxi province with her husband and grandson, said being cared for at the shelter, disaster those floods lasted more than a relief teams comprising engineers month. However, there was no relief and troops from the People’s Libera- site for the villagers, who did not tion Army have been busy repairing have hot meals every day or sleep in the river embankment, filling in the areas cooled by electric fans, as they 80-meter cavity on Wednesday. Poyang Lake do now. “Many people lived in simple shel- Serious efforts Poyang ters set up on high ground, which According to a meeting of the county lacked showers, enough drinking Standing Committee of the Political water and flush toilets. In addition, Bureau of the Communist Party of we were troubled by mosquitoes and China Central Committee in Beijing other insects. on Friday, while carrying out flood “Now, the shelter set up at the control and disaster relief efforts, school is very good and the local gov- authorities should also carefully ernment has considered almost plan reconstruction work to restore everything we need,” she said. production and help people return CHINA DAILY Wu and her husband spent 18,000 to normal life as soon as possible. Armed police repair the embankment along the Changjiang River in Poyang county on yuan this year planting about 1 hec- Serious efforts must be made to Wednesday. FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY tare of land with rice and soybean assist poor, flood-affected residents crops, thinking they could earn so that they do not fall back into pov- 60,000 yuan from the produce. How- erty. lage to plant rice. This year, all his well for several days. “I told her not to has only lasted two or three days. and money, I need to prepare well for ever, the floodwaters have dashed Zhang Yongyong, 51, from Long- fields have been flooded, resulting in fret over the losses, as the flooding This year, the severity of the situation planting next year,” he said. their hopes. kou village, Poyang, is still living at a loss of about 410,000 yuan and will eventually subside and we will has caught residents by surprise. By 10 am on Saturday, the water in She said that if the flooding sub- home even though the village is leaving the family 150,000 yuan in be able to plant rice again,” he said. “Planting rice is not suitable work Poyang Lake had dropped to 21.8 sides before the end of this month, it engulfed by flooding, with rice fields debt. When he agreed to rent the land, for those who fear the floods,” he meters, still 2.8 meters above the may be possible to plant more rice. If under water up to 5 meters deep. Zhang said each hectare can pro- Zhang said he had taken the possibil- said. warning level. not, the losses will never be recov- The flooding cut electricity and duce 13,500 kilograms of rice, which ity of flooding into consideration, so When the lake flooded the village Although the water has continued ered and nearly all the farmers in the water supplies to the village, where last year sold for 2.05 yuan per kg. He that when the waters arrived, he was on July 8, Zhang, who was working to fall, the flood risk remains at the village will have no income. about 300 people have decided to said that if there had been no flood- well prepared mentally. in his rice field, jumped on a tricycle highest level, as more heavy rain is To build their three-story home, remain. Some villagers have been ing this year, he would have been After water levels started to drop to reach his house, which stands on forecast for Jiangxi, according to the Wu’s family borrowed from relatives, unable to contact their family mem- able to make about 550,000 yuan. on Thursday, he cleaned the floor of high land. lake’s hydrology bureau. repaying the money this year. How- bers after floodwaters damaged tele- Much of his farming equipment, his house and some personal belong- “I only know how to plant rice, so I One thing remains clear, the locals’ ever, the house is now flooded and communications equipment. which has been left in the fields, will ings. will continue doing this. In my expe- battle against the flooding is far from Wu has returned home once by boat Longkou can only be reached by need repairing. He even found time to smile as he rience, the waters will subside late over. to feed 15 chickens. boat. He said his wife, scared by the discussed his losses, saying that next month. I will clear sand and “I didn’t sleep at night when the Since 2015, Zhang has rented flooding and worried about the fami- flooding is not unusual in villages stones from my field in the following Contact the writers at floodwaters inundated the house — I about 20 hectares of land in the vil- ly’s losses, was unable to sleep or eat near Poyang Lake, but in the past it months. Although this will take time [email protected].

Load more

  1

Copy Link