North China's
Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region is on the alert for a disastrous ice
run in the Yellow River as warm spring weather approaches.
If
the frozen water in the upper reaches of the Yellow River thaws too
quickly, Inner Mongolia will be in danger of severe ice run,
according to Jing Lishan, an official with the autonomous region's
government.
The ice in the river in Ningxia
had thawed completely by yesterday, without damaging ice run.
And the Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River is the only one
that is still frozen.
As
many as 45,800 people have been mobilized in Inner Mongolia to
watch for possible ice run, as they prepare to deliver huge amounts
of relief materials, Jing said.
The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has been afflicted with some
of China's severest ice run.
The country has tried to counter the phenomenon since 1949 with the
help of several large-scale reservoirs in the upper reaches of the
Yellow River.
The use of the Liujiaxia Reservoir to control river levels is one
major measure in place to prevent possible ice run this year.
But this year, the ice has been particularly thick and the river
embankments are not considered strong enough at several spots to
control the flow.
Thick silt has also accumulated in the river since its last big
flood in 1982, worrying Jing and his colleagues.
"We have had the embankments under close watch day and night," Jing
said.
As
for the other major river in China -- the Yangtze River -- the
prospects are much better.
With more rainfall arriving ahead of spring, its water levels have
risen.
The removal of silt has also opened many waterways to boat traffic
again.
But the water levels could fluctuate and will not rise
significantly until May when the flood season begins, said Chen
Guiya, a leading expert with the Yangtze River Water Resource
Committee.
However, below-average January rainfalls and the diversion of water
for electricity generation caused the upper and middle reaches of
the Yangtze River to reach historic lows this month.
Some sections of the river reported their lowest water levels in a
century, seriously affecting river transportation.
(China Daily February 24, 2003)