Beijing, July 29 (Xinhua) — In response to the breach emergency at the Juanshui River dike in Xiangtan County, Hunan Province, on the evening of the 28th, the Ministry of Water Resources has required strengthened patrol and defense of dike sections along the Xiangjiang River basin and other areas to strictly prevent recurrence of dike breach emergencies.

　　After the breach emergency at the Juanshui River dike in Xiangtan County, Hunan Province, occurred on the evening of the 28th, Li Guoying, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and Minister of Water Resources, immediately made arrangements and deployments, requiring that ensuring the safety of people's lives be placed in the ** priority, that the professional and technical advantages of water resources be fully leveraged, that monitoring, forecasting, and early warning be strengthened, and that full support be given to local authorities in handling the emergency. On the morning of the 29th, Li Guoying chaired a special consultation meeting to conduct rolling analysis and assessment of the rainfall, water, and flood conditions in Hunan Province, and to further arrange and deploy support for handling the Juanshui River dike breach in Xiangtan County, Hunan Province.

　　The Ministry of Water Resources immediately activated the major flood and drought disaster event dispatch and command mechanism, strengthened response to emergency and disaster conditions, placed ensuring the safety of people's lives in the ** priority, and guided and urged relevant departments and units to do the following work well.

　　1. On the basis of the already dispatched Ministry of Water Resources work team, additional expert groups are to be sent to the site as needed to provide technical support for handling the dike breach emergency.

　　2. Hunan Province is to be urged to comprehensively investigate areas that may be affected by the breach flood, checking person by person and household by household, one by one, leaving no household or person unchecked, and to carry out early evacuation to ensure personnel safety.

　　3. Digital simulation is to be carried out immediately, using hydrodynamic models to study and determine the flood propagation process of the breach and areas that may be subsequently affected.

　　4. Based on the flood simulation results, consideration is to be given to constructing or raising dikes at appropriate locations downstream of the breach to prevent further flood spreading and prevent further expansion of the disaster situation.

　　5. The upstream reservoirs on the Juanshui River are to be dispatched to reduce outflow, lower the water level at the breach, minimize as much as possible the volume of water entering the inner side of the dike, and at the same time create conditions for emergency response and for the return flow of overtopping breach flood.

　　6. Patrol and defense of dike sections along the Xiangjiang River basin and other areas are to be effectively strengthened to strictly prevent recurrence of dike breach emergencies.

　　7. Monitoring and forecasting of rainfall and water conditions are to be intensified, relevant water level measurements are to be carried out on a rolling basis, and support is to be provided for reservoir dispatch and handling of the dike breach emergency.

　　8. Water resources experts are to fully play their role as technical advisers and provide technical support for local decision-making and implementation of breach closure.