CHINA has launched all-out flood relief efforts in its southern regions, including Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, where the water levels of 22 rivers have risen above alert marks due to heavy rains since Friday.

The Ministry of Water Resources has sent working groups to regions impacted by flooding, including the worst-hit province of Jiangxi.

By 4:30 p.m. Monday, heavy downpours had affected 536,000 people in the province, causing 16,000 people to be relocated and direct economic losses of 670 million yuan (US$96.7 million), according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Rainfall has now stopped, and Jiangxi dropped its level-four emergency response for flood control at 8 p.m. Monday.

More heavy rains are forecast in parts of southern China from today to Saturday, posing flood risks in rivers in Guangxi and Guangdong, the ministry said.

The water levels in some small and medium-sized rivers in Guangxi and Guangdong may exceed their danger marks, it said.

Wang Wei, an official with the ministry’s department of flood and drought control, said the ministry will strengthen forecasting, warning, simulation and emergency response to cope with the situation.

(Xinhua, China Daily)