Just as Vice Mayor Qin and Deputy Division Commander Tao were waiting to board at the airport, Xu Mingyuan, Ma Jintao, Chen Youren, Xiao Yu, and others had already followed superior orders, bringing rescue equipnt like assault boats and fiberglass boats, as well as corresponding supplies, arriving at Xinzhou District in Jianli County on two 500-ton motorized ships.
The embanknt was crowded with people, and Deputy County Magistrate Yang of Jianli County had brought over forty public security police officers to maintain order.
The fourth flood peak was about to arrive, and the Jingjiang River level had surpassed the previous three flood peaks.
To ensure the safety of the Jingjiang Embanknt, the Yangtze River embanknt, Hanwu, and the lives of millions in Jianghan Plain, the Jianli flood control army, which had been guarding the embanknt for over 40 days, received the Provincial Defense Command order to proactively abandon the civil dikes like Xinzhou, Xizhou, and Blood Defense by breaching them.
These civil dikes cover an area of nearly two hundred square kiloters, with nearly a hundred thousand residents.
South of the civil dikes, across the river, lies Dongting Lake in Nanhu Province; north is the Yangtze River embanknt. Inside the embanknt is the nation's and even Asia's largest breeding area for the four big freshwater fish species: white pomfret, catfish, and others.
Once the dikes are breached, one billion cubic ters of floodwater will surge in and subrge all farmland, houses, and fish ponds within the dike zone, leading to an economic loss exceeding five billion yuan and leaving tens of thousands of residents holess.
To ensure the safety of breaching the dikes, the county arranged a dozen officers at the east and west ends of the breach site to maintain order, and another twenty officers were ready with shovels, waiting for Deputy County Magistrate Yang's order.
Two hours had passed, but Deputy County Magistrate Yang had not given the order.
Firstly, nearby villagers rushed over upon hearing the news, holding the hands of the police on guard duty, tearfully pleading with them not to breach the dikes. If they couldn't be persuaded to move to safety quickly, staying here would be dangerous.
Secondly, although the county had organized the evacuation of people within the dikes and the military and civilian flood control forces and even carried out extensive work for this, township and village-level cadres were shouting themselves hoarse, and still, nearly ten thousand people were unwilling to leave.
So lived on the river island embanknts within the dike, so stayed on balconies or rooftops, and so even lived in trees!
From their perspective, moving to the big embanknt wasn't as convenient as staying on the river island embanknt or their own rooftops; bothering the governnt was less appealing than handling things themselves, though it's easy to see they could not bear to leave their hos.
The Water Rescue Team's task was to enter the dike zone, which was about to beco a vast ocean, and rescue people who hadn't been able to evacuate after the dikes were breached.
But there were too many residents unwilling to leave within the dike zone; it was simply impossible to rescue them all.
"County Magistrate Yang, to protect the Xinzhou District, we began guarding the embanknt at the end of June, working tirelessly day and night. We withstood the previous three flood peaks, yet now the stable embanknt must be breached; it pains my heart!"
"County Magistrate Yang, what did you say the other day when you ca?"
A bespectacled, clearly educated villager clutched the county leader's hand, tears streaming down his face, saying, "You told us to give it our all, unite as one, defend strongly and determinedly, and with people in the embanknts. We had no objections, and we did as you said!"
"Principal Zhang, I know..." Deputy County Magistrate Yang, sharing the reluctance to breach the dikes, was also in tears, his heart wrenched like a knife, unable to speak, holding the old principal's hand.
The old principal released his hand and pointed behind him: "My son, my daughter-in-law, my grandson, my students are all on the embanknt fighting the flood. I'm too old to work, so all I can do is deliver als to them every day.
They've worked tirelessly for over forty days, exactly as you said, giving it their all, defending strongly and determinedly, confronting flood peak after flood peak, achieving a county-wide record with no breaches, no collapsed dike zones, and no damaged sluices! Yet at this ti, you want to breach the dikes for flooding. How can you face the tens of thousands of cadres and residents?"
To confront the previous three flood peaks, the county had invested nearly five billion yuan, most of which was collected from the people's flood prevention fees.
You let the residents contribute money and effort, yet now you want to breach the dikes and flood their hos, causing massive economic losses and leaving them holess. From both an emotional and rational standpoint, it's indefensible.
Deputy County Magistrate Yang couldn't face the villagers, silently crying, covering his mouth to keep from sobbing aloud.
"I'm not ignoring the big picture; I know we need to sacrifice the small for the greater good, but how can the people sacrifice their hos? I'm a teacher with a pension; my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson all have jobs. Even if our ho floods, we can still get by. How will these ordinary people manage?"
The old principal grew more distressed and agitated the more he thought about it, questioning the county leaders as if reprimanding students: "Guan Er responded to the governnt's call to farm fish, borrowing from here and there, totaling seventy to eighty thousand, with over forty thousand in bank loans. If the fish pond floods and the fish are lost, how will he repay the loans?
The mid-season rice is soon to be harvested. How will the ordinary people, who rely on farming for survival, continue their lives? Do they need to repay the debt for pesticides and fertilizers? Do their children need to attend school?"
...
The old principal asked more than a dozen questions.
Deputy County Magistrate Yang was speechless, unsure how to respond.
One resident, seeing the old principal speak on their behalf, couldn't help but say, "County Magistrate Yang, we've been able to hold the line here; why can't the Jingjiang Embanknt be held? If they really can't hold it, we can go help them! We beg you, don't breach the dikes, please. We simply can't afford to be flooded!"
The phone rang again, and even without checking the caller ID, it was obvious the superior wanted to know if the breach had been opened.
Deputy County Magistrate Yang dared not hesitate any longer, wiping away tears, clasping his hands in a gesture and saying, "Folks, colleagues, this flood level is extrely high; the Jingjiang Embanknt can't be held just by guarding. The county has never intended to breach and flood; neither the city nor the province wants to breach and flood.
If we don't breach and flood now, the entire Jianghan Plain will be subrged, and Hanwu will be flooded too! We have thousands of people here, but over ten million on that side! What can the county do, what can the superior do? Now we can only sacrifice the small for the greater good. I beg you all, please understand and cooperate."
The old principal fell silent, gazing tearfully at the distant Jingjiang Embanknt, tears streaming down his face.
Deputy County Magistrate Yang took several deep breaths and said chokingly, "I promise the Party and governnt won't forget everyone's contribution, and I promise the Party and governnt will help everyone rebuild their hos. If they can't do it, you can find , and even if this Deputy County Magistrate quits, I'll fight for you with the superior!"
What good will fighting for anything do, and what can be achieved?
There's so many disaster-afflicted areas, so many holess people, can the governnt take care of them all?
The old principal realized talking to Deputy County Magistrate Yang was futile, knowing the superior wouldn't order breaching and flooding unless absolutely necessary; turning back, he said, "Colleagues, villagers, let's all go. At this point, we can only sacrifice the small for the greater good."
"Principal Zhang..."
"Go, go, go, everyone quickly move. Sacrifice one Xinzhou District, and we'll secure the Jingjiang Embanknt, protect Jianghan Plain, protect Hanwu; it's worth it!"
The old principal wiped away his aging tears, leading the way along the embanknt back.
His son, daughter-in-law, and several students from past years hesitated, taking several backward glances, before following.
Poor ho is hard to abandon, and old land is difficult to leave.
Although they were reluctant at heart, the people on the embanknt still left tearfully with the old principal.
"Thank you, thank you everyone, thank you comrades..."
Deputy County Magistrate Yang watched the people leaving, and was too choked up to speak, constantly saying thank you.
Starting today, the residents of several civil dikes nearby, including Xinzhou District, will either have to turn to relatives or live in shacks, not knowing how long they will be there.
Xu Mingyuan, Ma Jintao, Chen Youren, Xiao Yu, and other soldiers from the Water Rescue Team were shocked by everything in front of them, their hearts suffering imnsely, many of them were moved to tears.
"Dig the opening!"
"Yes!"
Following Deputy County Magistrate Yang's order, more than twenty public security police began to work, digging while tears flowed. Before long, the opening was dug, and the floodwaters surged into the dike through the newly dug opening.
Xu Mingyuan clearly saw that the police executing the task of digging the embanknt didn't dig very deep, nor was the opening very large. Several policen even stopped halfway, leaning on shovels to look into the dike.
No need to ask, it was clear they wanted to buy more ti for those unwilling to leave inside the dike.
However, the floodwaters, like a runaway horse, surged faster and faster, also eroding the sub-dams on both sides of the breach, which visibly extended to both sides.
The sub-dams that haven't been destroyed are also in danger.
Xu Mingyuan dared not look any longer, imdiately raising a portable speaker to shout: "County Governor Yang, Director Xu, quickly get on the boat!"
"Oh, thank you."
Deputy County Magistrate Yang reacted, hastily following the plan along the plank, boarding the ergency rescue assault team's pontoon boat with the help of Xiao Yu and others.
Deputy Director Xu from the County Police Bureau, who ca to execute the task with Deputy County Magistrate Yang, reminded upon boarding: "County Governor Yang, call the City Flood Control Command to report."
"Alright." Deputy County Magistrate Yang composed himself, took out his phone but didn't rush to call, instead turning around to say: "Instructor Xu, Company Commander Ma, we'll rely on you for the rest."
"It's not about relying, it's our task."
"When will you go in?"
Xu Mingyuan leaned to look inside the dike, solemnly saying: "Now the water level inside the dike isn't deep enough, we may have to wait another half hour."
...
After more than a month of rigorous defense, we still couldn't hold it. Today, there are more than a dozen civil dikes to be breached for flooding, including three the Linghai Reserve Camp had gone to protect.
Even though Han Yu wasn't at the scene of the embanknt digging, his heart was equally heavy.
He looked at Vice Director Yu's phone record on the ground, feeling a mix of emotions: "Knowing that we had to breach for flooding, why wait until today? Even if breaching was necessary, why not decide earlier."
If decided earlier, it would have given the people inside the dike more preparation ti, possibly reducing so economic loss. It could have even diverted the billion already spent on flood control to help relocate the displaced people."
Master Xu understood Han Yu's feelings, looking at the floodwater almost covering the sub-dam, helplessly saying: "Master Xi suggested a month ago to abandon so island and beach civil dikes, focusing flood control efforts and resources on ensuring the Yangtze River embanknt.
In fact, local governnt leaders knew this in their hearts but were hoping against hope, thinking the rain couldn't fall like this every day, thinking there wouldn't be another flood peak. Knowing is one thing, whether it can be done is another. If I were a leader, I wouldn't be able to make this decision either."
There are problems with decision-making.
Strictly speaking, they are historical issues left behind.
Han Yu knew those words wouldn't help, turning to the water region map, frowning tightly as he said: "Master Xu, could you do a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Many people were transferred to the main embanknt, please call the command later to ask which segnts people are mainly gathered at, then mark them on the water region map."
"Secretary Han, are you worried those segnts aren't safe?"
"This flood peak is more ferocious than the previous three, who can guarantee the main embanknt won't collapse? First mark them down, if sothing happens, we can rescue promptly."
Han Yu took a deep breath and continued: "Also, there are thousands gathered on the main embanknt, water consumption will surely be a problem. We can't do much, but at least we can provide clean drinking water."
Every major disaster needs to be followed by pandemic prevention.
Dirty water is one of the sources of a pandemic.
Master Xu realized and said: "Alright, I'll call and ask the City Flood Control Command now."
Han Yu raised a walkie-talkie tied to his chest and shouted: "Director Ge, Secretary Wang, please respond."
"Received, what's up?"
"Salted Fish, I'm here."
"Notify all sub-teams at alti to save water starting today. Also, inform the water supply sub-team to use water supply boats to provide clean drinking water to the people transferred to nearby embanknts starting tonight."
Old Ge instinctively asked: "Do we produce enough water?"
Without hesitation, Han Yu said: "I'll imdiately have Wu Heng and Bai Li stop secondary processing through ultrafiltration, as long as it ets drinking water standards, 24-hour production should be enough."
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