"in an agricultural country like China, flood and drought are among the most constant threats. to" the economic welfare of the people, and
sand Trrigation "consequently. find. the questions of viver conservancy ieularly, prominent place in the Economic Councils. "programme of reconstruction, So far the "activities undertaken in this field "by. the Council "have been mainly directed" tothe, completion St work left over by the National Flood Relief Commission. hydraulic Engineering Bureau was formed "to curry oat schemes formulated. by the Hydraulic One neering Committee. The Bureau strengthened and. raised the main dykes along the Yangtze, the Hivai, the Han, and the Kan Rivers for flood prevention. Te has instal SsNanking, fo Hengchow, Shanghai to Mangchas Nanking to Wah Soochow Kahing.= Changhing' to" Hiaencheme: bind, Hangchow to iTweichow. [i Petlangchow to" Hwelckow Finally, the Bureau has constructed and repaired spur dykes, dams, bridges, and bank protection work at some ut points along. tie 'Yellow River, the Lo, the Sha, and the Yin in Honan Province. This work of construction and repair has Been instrumental in protesting mil tretohes "of" agricultural' land, mins of people, inhabiting" vast
against the dangers of drought and inundation.
"In April and May of this year, the waters of the Yangtze having: begun to rise, steps were taken to institute a system of safeguarding {the dykes and of flood prevention in the event of @ high-water' year. Towards the end of June the Yangtze had risen to the highest. level recorded for that month, reaching in several places a height only one foot below the 1981 Central China Flood level. Great uneasiness was felt, but it, is foa: report through the Bureau's main tenance and systematic repair of [the dykes constructed last year by the Flood Relief Commission, a repetition of the disastrous effects of the 1931 flood has been successfully
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.