综合一区欧美国产,99国产麻豆免费精品,九九精品黄色录像,亚洲激情青青草,久久亚洲熟妇熟,中文字幕av在线播放,国产一区二区卡,九九久久国产精品,久久精品视频免费

   

Yangtze drought affects 1.5m people

(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-02-27 07:15

CHONGQING: Severe drought has had a debilitating effect on the Yangtze River over the last two weeks, leaving at least 1.5 million people in Chongqing Municipality with water shortages, local authorities said yesterday.

A spokesman of Shapingba Waterworks, one of the largest drinking water suppliers in the city center, told Xinhua that only one of its 10 pipes used to pump water from the Yangtze was still below the water surface and in operation and that is only 10 cm below the water level.

Related readings:
Nation faces 'higher risk' of floods and drought
Drought leaves 300,000 short of drinking water in NW China
Severe drought batters cropland in Shandong
China reports more areas hit by drought
Drought, flooding in Yangtze River Valley cost billions
"If the water levels in the Yangtze and its upper tributary Jialing River continue to decline, we'll face a real crisis," he said.

The municipal drought control authority has sent water wagons to the drought-hit areas to provide water for humans and cattle and has told local governments to build up reserves.

The local hydrological bureau said water levels in the Yangtze and Jialing rivers had declined sharply in recent weeks due to a lack of rainfall. It follows last summer's severe drought that forced tens of thousands of farmers to eke out a living away from home many ended up picking cotton in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

On Sunday, the water level at Cuntan hydrological station in Chongqing measured 158.43 meters, only 35 centimeters higher than the record low reported in 1987, said a bureau spokesman surnamed Wang.

Wang blamed a glut of power plants in the Yangtze's upper reaches for the decline in water.

Sources with the China Three Gorges Project Corporation said the water shortage in the upper reaches had not affected the world's largest water storage facility in the lower reaches.

The flow of water into the dam measured 3,700 cubic meters per second and the water level at the dam was 153.43 meters on Sunday afternoon, which safeguard the operation of the dam.

But the declining water level in Chongqing has played havoc with navigation and a cargo ship carrying 1,400 tons of timber was stranded on Sunday close to Chongqing's Xinggang port. The salvage operation lasted 5 hours.

Yesterday, the local maritime bureau suspended navigation in the area between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm every day for surveying and dredging.

"The Yangtze suffers drought almost every spring, but this year's situation is worse than ever," said a sailor, adding the water level at Chaotianmen Wharf in central Chongqing was "lower by at least 1 meter" compared with last year.

The exposed riverbed near the wharf has become a temporary playground for locals to sunbathe and fly kites.

The Chongqing municipal flood control and drought relief office said it planned to ease the drought through artificial rainfall.

Xinhua

(China Daily 02/27/2007 page2)



Top China News  
Today's Top News  
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
兴国县| 珠海市| 德庆县| 且末县| 城固县| 江口县| 金坛市| 若羌县| 时尚| 乌兰浩特市| 天长市| 洛南县| 墨脱县| 云林县| 梨树县| 浮山县| 承德市| 杭锦旗| 故城县| 陇南市| 清远市| 五原县| 平塘县| 建德市| 阿克苏市| 兴安县| 文安县| 五华县| 清原| 桦南县| 英德市| 张家口市| 钟祥市| 布拖县| 莫力| 松桃| 芒康县| 晋宁县| 遂溪县| 德州市| 宁海县|