Beijing marks one year since devastating floods
Mourning for 79 who died in one day as critics question if Beijing has done enough to prepare for another deluge
Beijing yesterday marked the first anniversary of devastating floods that claimed 79 lives in a day by mourning victims and holding a large-scale disaster relief drill in the hardest-hit Fangshan district.
It was the capital's worst deluge in decades and caused about 11.6 billion yuan (HK$14.5 billion) in economic losses. But what has changed in the past year? And is Beijing better prepared for another such onslaught of rain and flooding?
There has been an ongoing effort over the past year to upgrade the city's notoriously bad drainage system. But experts and residents near "rainstorm- vulnerable" parts of the city are still voicing concerns about the adequacy of the capital's flood-control mechanisms, particularly as Beijing saw an average rainfall of 247.3mm between June 1 and July 15 this year. It was the largest average since 1999 and 79.6 per cent more than the average during that time period in the past decade, according to the official .
And the major flood season didn't even start until Saturday. So, to help cope with whatever Mother Nature dishes out, the municipal government has been busy since May upgrading drainage systems in 21 low-lying areas, such as under flyovers, the reports. Other upgrades reportedly included increasing the capacities of pump stations, in an effort to minimise street flooding.
Fangshan authorities have also spent 34 million yuan on flood-control facilities over the past year, and 43 rescue teams have been created to help deal with any flood emergencies that may arise, China News Service reported.
