STORY: Race against time: flood control, disaster relief efforts in China's Tianjin
DATELINE: Aug. 7, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:54
LOCATION: TIANJIN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of flood-affected areas in Tianjin, China
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): JI YUNPENG, Head of fire station in Wuqing automobile industrial park, Tianjin
3. various of the floodwater
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG SHUWEI, Technician at Tianjin Institute of Surveying and Mapping Co., Ltd.
5. various of flood control efforts
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): CAI JIE, Head of police station in Taitou Town, Tianjin
7. various of police force on patrol
8. various of Tianjin's Daqinghe River and embankment reinforcement work
9. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): WANG CHAO, Armed police officer
10. various of embankment reinforcement work
11. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): LI HUI, Armed police officer
12. various of embankment reinforcement work
 
STORYLINE:
 
The Haihe River Basin in northern China is experiencing the worst flooding caused by rainstorms since 1963, which involves many large and medium-sized cities, including Tianjin Municipality.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): JI YUNPENG, Head of fire station in Wuqing automobile industrial park, Tianjin
"(We just) measured the depth of the floodwater and are going to place water level gauge to monitor the rise of water level in recent days."
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG SHUWEI, Technician at Tianjin Institute of Surveying and Mapping Co., Ltd.
"The water level is 1.14m in the deepest area, and within 50cm depth in slightly higher areas. Basically, we deploy one or two gauges in each village, and use drones to take aerial photos every day to monitor the water level."
 
SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): CAI JIE, Head of police station in Taitou Town, Tianjin
"We have two main tasks. The first is to go on patrol to protect people's property. The second is to prevent evacuated residents from coming back, which is dangerous when the flood hits."
 
Tianjin issued a red alert on Sunday, the highest level of warning, for possible floods in its Daqinghe River, a major tributary of the Haihe River.
 
Relevant personnel, emergency vehicles and disaster relief materials have been sent to the floodwater detention and retention area, with the riverway's outer embankment reinforcement work underway.
 
SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): WANG CHAO, Armed police officer
"We had carried out flood control training since July. Over 2,000 armed police officers are being dispatched here today. Braving heavy rains, high temperatures and gales, we stick to our posts."
 
SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): LI HUI, Armed police officer
"We are reinforcing the 2.5-km-long embankment on the south side of the Daqinghe River. Up to now (10 p.m., Aug. 5), more than 100,000 sandbags have been used on a 1.6-km-long section of embankment."
 
As of Aug. 6, a newly-reinforced 6.7-km-long, 1.6-m-wide and 0.8-m-high embankment was completed here.
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tianjin, China.
(XHTV)