CHINA: The two men responsible for stopping China's giant Dongting Lake bursting its banks declared a cautious victory yesterday in their battle to save millions from floods. From Jonathan Ansfield, in Changsha
Waters on Dongting Lake were expected to peak tomorrow as a flood crest on the Yangtze River poured in, but would start receding on Monday - as long as there was no more rain, said the top flood control officials in the southern province of Hunan.
"This month's rain has come fast and the coverage area has been very wide," said Mr Yu Changming, deputy head of Hunan's flood control office, in an interview.
"But because of the steps we've taken since 1998, we've been able to successfully fight back the waters," he said. "If it does not rain, then I expect by the 26th or 27th the waters could begin receding a little bit."
As he spoke, the weather outside could not have been more perfect - clear blue skies without a hint of rain - but weather forecasters predict light showers for Monday and Tuesday.
No lives had been lost to the lake so far, thanks to a 10 billion yuan (€1.2 billion) programme to build up dykes, move 350,000 farmers and plant trees around the lake since 1998, the flood control officials said.
That year, the worst floods in decades killed more than 4,000 people after the Yangtze and Dongting burst their banks.
"If this was 1998, then the waters would definitely have broken the banks by now," said Mr Zhang Shuofu, director of Hunan's flood control office.
More than 100 people died around the lake in 1998 after it hit an historical high of 35.94 metres, the officials said.
The lake, fed by four swollen rivers including the Yangtze, is now at 34.74 metres, its fourth highest on record.
All the water flowing in flows out through one natural exit channel - straight back into the Yangtze.
"There's a lot of water coming in and not a lot going out, said Mr Zhang.
The Xiangjiang River, which also feeds Dongting, was at its third highest level since 1949 around Hunan's capital Changsha, the officials said.
Authorities had evacuated tens of thousands of people from around the lake this month and many more from hilly areas of the province, where floods had caused deaths this year, Mr Yu said.
They have also mobilised more than a million people to help hold back the lake.
The vast majority were farmers with minimal training in flood prevention who were doing what they could by day, but sleeping at night, Mr Yu added.
"There are people on duty around the clock, but at night they are mostly resting," he said.
Meanwhile, heavy flooding in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province has now claimed the lives of 11 people, washing away hundreds of homes and leaving thousands homeless, officials and residents said yesterday.
"At least 20,000 people have been badly affected," said Mr Haji Raza Khan, an official in the district of Mardan, approximately 60 km north of Peshawar, adding that six people had drowned in the district yesterday. Floodwaters from rains that began on Thursday have also injured dozens of people, killed hundreds of livestock and destroyed crops worth tens of thousands of dollars, officials said. - (Reuters/AFP)