China established a network for monitoring landslides and mud-rock flow along the upper reaches ofthe Yangtze River, the longest river in China, costing of more than 40 million yuan (4.83 million US dollars), according to Hu Jiajun, director of the Yangtze River Water and Soil Conservation Bureau.

The network, constructed over the past decade, consists the central station for early warning of landslides and mud-rock flow along the Yangtze River, which is based in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province. The network also comprises 12 major early warning stations in the Three Gorges area and on Jinsha and Jialing rivers and 59 small monitoring stations.

More than 300 professionals work for the network which covers 113,400 square kilometers of area in seven provinces and municipalities along the upper reaches of the Yangtze. The total population in the monitored area is about 300,000.

Statistics show that in recent years, the death toll of landslides and mud-rock flow has accounted for about 80 percent of the total deaths of floods and related disasters of major rivers in China.

The upper reaches of the Yangtze River is one of the several areas in China where frequent landslides and mud-rock flow are reported. Covering one million square kilometers, the region has in recent years reported more than 150,000 sites of landslides and more than 10,000 gullies of mud-rock flow.

The monitoring network has so far successfully helped forecast 217 landslides and mud-rock flows, saving economic losses of 228 million yuan (27.56 million US dollars), said Hu Jiajun.

Source: Xinhua