Drainage may begin on quake lake today

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-6-5  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE plan to drain the Tangjiashan quake lake in Sichuan Province is due to be implemented today, with the trapped water volume having risen to 211.6 million cubic meters by 2pm yesterday.

The volume was up from 200.8 million cubic meters at 8am on Tuesday, according to the quake control and relief headquarters with the Ministry of Water Resources.

The water level stood at 737.78 meters at 2pm yesterday, up 0.25 meters from 8am. The water level was just 1.37 meters from the lowest point of the blockage.

"We must prepare to deal with the worst situation but strive for the best results," said Chen Lei, minister of water resources.

He stressed great efforts would be made to drain the quake lake and "ensure the safety of people downstream."

To prevent the quake-formed lake from breaching its barrier and endangering survivors downstream, more than 600 armed police and soldiers raced to complete a water diversion facility on Saturday night, digging a 475-meter channel in the barrier.

The timing on when to drain the lake will be decided by water inflows from its upper reaches, said Liu Ning, chief engineer at the ministry.

Liu said the catchment area of the upper reaches covers 3,350 sq km. It is estimated that 2 millimeters of rainfall in that area will mean a rise of 1 meter in the water level.

Weather experts on Tuesday predicted scattered thundershowers and rain today and tomorrow around Tangjiashan lake, with rainfall to peak tonight.

According to weather records, rainfall for June, July and August over the Tangjiashan area stands at 140 mm, 360 mm and 330 mm, respectively. Rainfalls of such levels would pose a grave danger to the quake lake.

The quake killed 69,122 people as of noon yesterday, the Information Office of the State Council said.

Another 373,606 people were injured and 17,991 others remain missing, while 45.69 million were affected by the disaster.

Tangjiashan lake is one of 35 lakes formed after landslides triggered by the quake blocked rivers in the mountains. If one-third of the lake breaches its banks, 158,000 people will have to relocate. More than 250,000 people in Mianyang City have been relocated.