Minister calls for ramped up flood protection efforts in North

Li Guoying, minister of water resources, has demanded that intensified efforts be made to ensure the safety of some key locations, including Beijing Daxing International Airport, in northern China as downpours brought by Typhoon Doksuri swell many water bodies in the region and increase disaster risks.

He made the remarks at a conference specially convened for flood control work in the Haihe River basin, where rainwater has continued pouring into water bodies in the basin, despite the cyclone having moved it.

Flood control officials must not slacken their efforts as rainfall begins to dissipate and the peak of the flooding has passed, Li stressed, adding that they should be ready to cope with any emerging situations.

He demanded measures be rolled out to ensure that no casualties will occur, no dikes and dams will collapse and no key infrastructure will be damaged.

The minister listed a series of key locations and projects where precautionary measures should be further beefed up, including the intersection of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project with the Juma River, Beijing Daxing International Airport and the Xiong'an New area.

Reservoir patrols should be intensified, and guard duties on the dikes of recently flooded areas should be ramped up to ensure safety, he noted.