Domestic Affairs

"2010 flood-fighting spirit" winning applause

By Bi Shicheng (People's Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-23 09:36

To attain compensation in a natural calamity, people should be fully self-conscious and foster the spiritual disciplines and self-confidence at all times.

About 113 million people have been affected around China by floods that have killed more than 700 people and inundated countless communities since the flooding season set in this year, and the situation would worsen as the country gets deeper into the typhoon season.

A total of 701 people have died so far this year in the floods that has also left 347 people missing, Liu Ning, head of China's flood control authority and vice-minister of water sources, told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. "Since 60 to 80 percent of the annual rain level occurs in June, July and August, we should be prepared to prevent and combat potential disasters,"and the overall damage totals 142.2 billion yuan (21 billion US dollars), said Liu, explaining this year's flood category is sub-classified into three types based on flood intensity in main rivers.

In face of incessant flood scourges, there is an urgent need to have "a strong, indomitable flood fighting spirit."

In carrying out the "2010 flood-fighting spirit", leading officials should assume leadership by displaying their exemplary role fully and be prepared for any eventuality. Deluge occurring once in decades or even in centuries is perhaps an objective description but cannot be taken as an excuse to shirk responsibility. Our era calls for more good officials who "share weal and woe" with the common people. In face of floods, landslides, and mudflows or debris flows, the leading officials require more courage and should be ready for the burden-sharing and taking responsibility, and be good at it. On no account should they leave their posts at will and delay in disposing of the adversity.

The "2010 flood-fighting spirit"needs the mobilization and participation of people from all social strata. Whenever floods come, people have always seen men and officers of the regular People's Liberation Army, armed police and policemen rushing to the frontline to work in floodwater and build the "bastion" or "mainstay" against floods.

The experience has demonstrated repeatedly that people can reduce the loss of floods to the minimum only when all their strength is tapped and brought into full play. When one is in a flooded area, he should exert his utmost to fight floods and, when one is away from the disaster area, he should do his best to help with his money or materials contributions.