THE Changjiang Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources has launched a level-IV emergency response for flood control starting Saturday noon to cope with rain-triggered flooding in China’s longest river, the Yangtze.

Since 8 a.m. Friday, torrential rains have been hitting parts of Poyang Lake and Ganjiang River, triggering warning water levels at some stations in the Yangtze River basin.

Meteorologists said heavy rains are forecast to continue battering some river systems and main streams of the Yangtze, bringing a high risk of mountain torrents and small and medium-sized floods.

The Changjiang Water Resources Commission has notified the provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu in Central and East China to make every flood prevention and emergency response effort to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I representing the most severe response.

Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Water Resources on Saturday called for preparedness against severe flooding expected to hit South China’s Pearl River basin.

Recent downpours in the Pearl River basin have led to the rise of water levels of its main rivers, including the Xijiang, Beijiang, and Hanjiang rivers.

To prevent floods in the southern parts of China, the ministry activated a level IV emergency response for the provinces of Zhejiang and Anhui on Saturday.

It also maintains its level III emergency response for Guangdong and Guangxi, as well as the level IV emergency response for Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

The ministry has sent six working groups to areas affected to guide work on flood control.

(Xinhua)