Emergency measures were taken this week at the Toudaoguai section of the Yellow River in north China's Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region to prevent this section of the waterway from drying up.

On July 1, the water flow volume at the Toudaoguai section plunged to 15 stere per second, well below 50 stere, the warning level that signals the drying up of the river.

In response, the Yellow River Water Conservancy Committee sent supervisors to Inner Mongolia.

Experts decided that it was necessary to prevent water diversion and to increase the water flow at the upper reaches in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to raise the water level at Toudaoguai. By Friday afternoon the water flow was brought back to 50 stere per second.

Qiao Xixian, an official with the Committee, said the flow volume at the Yellow River fell to a record low this year, and its volume during the first half of the year amounted to only 8.1 billion stere, 47 percent below the annual average.

However, Qiao also warned of potential flooding, given that heavy rains are forecast for July and August in the river valleys.

(Xinhua News Agency July 7, 2003)