Although severely affected by typhoon Saomai, southeast China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces are starting to recover, according to local authorities.

In Wenzhou City of Zhejiang Province 80 percent of the 3,850 affected industries have resumed production. All the highways and roads at provincial and state levels are open to traffic. Power lines transmitting electricity above 35 KV have been repaired and communication links are almost back to normal.

Over 2.13 million people in the city were affected by Saomai which cut off water supplies and left 213,658 short of drinking water. Currently they're drinking disinfected water from springs, said Feng Zhili, vice mayor of Wenzhou, who ordered water supplies be restored by the end of August.

In Cangnan County, where Saomai came ashore, the typhoon damaged 240 schools and 210 kindergartens. Approximately 2,000 teachers and workers have been mobilized to assist with rebuilding damaged and demolished schools.

But the school reconstruction, costing 73 million yuan (US$8.75 million), may be too expensive for the county government. It has already come up with 25 million yuan (US$3.1 million) and it plans to appeal to the provincial government to ensure all schools and kindergartens open on September 1.

In Fuding City of Fujian, one of the worst-hit areas, 160 million yuan (US$20 million) is being spent and 3,000 people have been assembled to bring the power system back into operation before September, said Xu Xinsheng, vice general manager of the Fujian Provincial Power Corporation.

Thirteen salvage vessels are working in the waters off Shacheng harbor to retrieve boats sunk when the typhoon struck. Four had been recovered by Sunday evening.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2006)