BEIJING: Cities in China have implemented a slew of measures to battle the ongoing heatwave and mitigate power or water shortages and bushfires.
Local authorities in southwest China’s Sichuan Province initiated a first level emergency response, the highest of its kind, on Sunday as the province endured its highest temperatures, lowest rainfall and highest power demand since July.
The emergency response requires that the demands of households are met before those of industrial production. Measures limiting the electricity to some industrial users were extended to Thursday.
Meanwhile, the State Grid increased daily power supply to Sichuan to 132 million kWh and a total of 50 emergency power generating vehicles from 13 provincial regions including Beijing, Jiangsu and Zhejiang arrived in Chengdu, the provincial capital.
In addition, the China Energy Investment Corporation is diverting water supply to a major river in Sichuan so local power plants can increase their capacity.
Six generators in Sichuan’s largest coal power plant in Guang’an have been running at full capacity since August 1. The plant can produce up to 2.4 million kWh of power every hour. The plant estimates the total capacity for August will be more than 300 percent higher than the same month in 2021.
Neighboring Chongqing Municipality is experiencing its most severe consistent hot weather since 1961. Local agricultural technicians have visited vegetable growers door to door in the municipality’s Bishan District to offer them one-on-one guidance on reducing possible losses caused by the high temperature. They have put in place multiple pieces of cooling equipment, such as sun shades, fans and water curtains.
Multiple bushfires caused by the persistent drought and heatwaves have been put out in Chongqing. Over 5,000 rescue personnel, including firefighters, armed forces and rescue teams, as well as seven helicopters, were mobilized to put out the fires. More than 1,500 people have been evacuated to safe places.
Across China, about 809,000 people are experiencing difficulties in getting drinking water, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. Governments in areas including Sichuan, Chongqing and Guizhou are transporting water, extending pipelines and creating new water sources.
In a town close to Hubei’s Enshi City, the local government allocated 4.5 million yuan ($660,000) to a special fund to fight drought.
–The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
