More, larger drainage pipes not the solution to urban flooding, official says

It is impossible to solve urban flooding issues by simply expanding and building huge drainage pipes, a senior ministry official said on Friday.

Lu Kehua, deputy head of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said the government is pushing forward the "Sponge City" program, a comprehensive system similar to the natural ecosystem, to absorb the rainfall.

"There are many reasons behind urban flooding, and a poorly designed and maintained drainage system is only part of it," said Lu. "By promoting 'Sponge City', the rainfall would penetrate into the ground first, and we can collect the rainfall through lakes, rivers and tanks underground, working like a sponge."

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said that in 2012, urban flooding affected 184 cities, while in 2013 the number was 234, and last year it was 125.

"The ill-planned underground pipelines are a major reason for an increase in urban flooding during torrential rains in recent years," Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Chen Zhenggao said in an earlier interview.