Warning of more floods as millions face misery

More than 5 million people have been displaced or otherwise affected by flooding in east and south China that is also pushing up food prices, while Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei warned of more severe floods triggered by heavy rains. Torrential rain has left huge areas of Hubei and Zhejiang provinces under water, with more than 432,200 hectares of farmland inundated. Data from Zhejiang's flood control headquarters showed that, by yesterday morning, 2.66 million people had been affected by continuous rainstorms in 545 townships of 50 counties in the province. More than 7,000 homes collapsed or were otherwise damaged. A total of 171,000 hectares of crops were destroyed and 989 enterprises were shut down, incurring 4.96 billion yuan (US$751.5 million) in direct economic losses, according to the local government. Vegetable production has been reduced by 20 percent and prices in the provincial capital of Hangzhou have risen by as much as 40 percent. Higher food prices blamed on flooding were also reported in the eastern provinces of Anhui and Jiangxi. The downpour triggered a mudslide that buried houses and killed two people in Zhejiang's Changshan County, while two more were killed and two left missing by flooding in Hubei. According to officials in Hubei, a total of 3.01 million local residents in 31 counties were affected by the rain. Around 24,400 people have been evacuated and 261,200 hectares of crops were damaged. A total of 2,194 homes collapsed and 5,077 more were damaged. Flooding in eastern and southern China this month has left more than 170 people dead or missing. Roads and railways have been blocked, but aid supplies are arriving. But severe floods triggered by heavy rains will continue to threaten southern parts of China and bring the country into a crucial period for flood control, Minister Chen said yesterday. While the country strengthens efforts to combat the floods, persistent drought still plagues regions in Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu provinces and some northern provinces. The drought, t! he worst in 50 years in some regions, still affects 4.81 million hectares of farmland nationwide. The extreme drought left 630,000 people short of drinking water in the five provinces in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, Chen said.