The water resources department of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region disclosed that it had planned for allocating 11.524 billion yuan (about US$1.383 billion) for dam consolidation and for projects to store floodwater in the next five years.
Five main rivers flow through this north China’s autonomous region, the Yellow River, the Ergune River, the Liaohe River, the Nenjiang River, and the Halh Gol River. The existing dikes along the rivers total 1,815 km.
To intensify the anti-flooding capacity, the local government plans for building another 94.32 km of dikes along the Yellow River, and another 329.4 km along the other four rivers, consolidate 984.03 km of dikes along the mother river, and 772.32 km along the others.
Besides the anti-flooding efforts along the main stream areas, another 4,026 km of dike consolidation and 636 km of bank revetments will be needed along 41 key branches. Large water conservation projects are also included in the local government’s 10th five-year plan.
Officials said the efforts will ensure the dikes and dams safe in the main stream areas for next five decades, and the anti- flooding projects will be efficient within a century for the cities of Hohhot and Baotou.
(People’s Daily 03/05/2001)