China vows to protect coronavirus-hit Hubei from flooding

A man wearing protective gear walks by the Yangtze river in Wuhan, Hubei province, Apr 4, 2020. BEIJING: China on Thursday said it would spare no effort to ensure the COVID-19 epicentre of Hubei province was well protected from flooding this summer, amid warnings that heavier-than-usual rain could cause widespread damage.

Water levels in 148 rivers in China have risen above warning thresholds, Vice Minister of Water Resources Ye Jianchun told a news conference in Beijing, with nationwide rainfall 6 per cent higher than the average for the same period in previous years.The mayor of Hubei's provincial capital, Wuhan, which is at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers in central China and saw the first reported COVID-19 cases last year, warned in March of the need to prepare for floods.

"And we hope that after all efforts, Hubei will not have problems in flood control and the people of Hubei will not be made to suffer any more."Noting that there are many rivers and lakes in Hubei, where COVID-19 has killed more than 4,500 people, Ye said flood control in the province would be a"very heavy" task even without the epidemic.

The challenge was even greater this year because the epidemic has coincided with the usual preparation period, he added.Nevertheless, Ye said his department had been working on flood control in Hubei since February and the province had done a good job under difficult circumstances. Hubei will speed up renovation work on buildings previously damaged in floods and eliminate potential hazards, Ye said, assuring that the authorities would be"targeted" and"meticulous" in their monitoring of rainfall.

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