Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 1026 - 672: Not Easy! (Part 3)

"The equipment can't be transported over?"

"It seems so. Anyway, your next task is to focus entirely on water rescue operations."

Xiao Yu asked worriedly, "I'm going to operate the speedboat to rescue people, who's going to operate the excavator?"

Han Yu explained, "We have someone to operate it; the Changhang Bureau arranged for two experienced excavator operators to help us."

Li Jun whispered, "Secretary Han, if our Party Member Assault Team fully participates in the water rescue, who will assist with manpower during emergency construction?"

"The 132 Regiment's Second Battalion has just formed a Party Member Assault Team, with Battalion Commander Li Shousong personally taking the role of assault team leader." Han Yu paused and added, "Although the work of the Party Member Assault Team is arduous, tiring, and dangerous, it doesn't require a high level of skill. I believe they can handle it."

"Alright, when do we set off?"

"The senior brother is preparing on the shore, as soon as the vehicle from the logistics support team returns from procurement, you can set off."

"Understood!"

"Be safe when you get there."

"Don't worry, we're professionals at this!"

When it comes to water rescue, it's no exaggeration to say that even the Army Boat Bridge Unit here might not be as skilled as Xiao Yu and Li Jun.

After all, Xiao Yu grew up on a boat and has been engaged in maritime enforcement and water rescue since starting work. Although Li Jun didn't grow up on a boat, he has always worked by the riverside after joining the army, and frequently had to supervise foreign vessels on the river.

Han Yu truly had no worries about the two of them.

Just as he was about to send them to the cookery ship for a meal, Xiao Yu asked puzzledly, "Salted Fish, what's going on with Nanhu, why let so many people live in the lake area?"

Han Yu hadn't expected this question and replied helplessly, "At first, I didn't know either; it was later explained by Master Xi. It is said that in the late 1950s, under the ideology of 'grain as the key link' advocated by the big Y, to solve food issues and support agricultural collectivization, to meet the needs of the nation's socialist industrial construction, both the central and local governments prioritized grain production as the focus of all work.

There was a nationwide movement to reclaim land from lakes, with slogans like 'grain as the key link' and 'marching into communism' everywhere. At that time, the leadership in Nanhu decided to reclaim the lake district for 'money' and 'grain' from Dongting Lake."

"And then?" Xiao Yu pursued.

"I've never been to Anzao Dam, so I don't know the situation there."

Han Yu pointed to the Diao Xiankou Gate not far away, and said with a bitter smile, "I only know the origin of the Diao Xiankou Gate; behind the gate is Diao Xian River, flowing south through Shishou and Ronghua County in Nanhu Province, eventually emptying into Qianliang Lake in Xiang'an County of Nanhu Province.

Qianliang Lake is actually part of Dongting Lake. At that time, Nanhu's guiding principle was that Qianliang Lake was connected to Diao Xian River, and to reclaim Qianliang Lake, the upper waters had to be blocked. Therefore, Nanhu proposed to Beihu Province to block off Diao Xiankou.

Indeed, they intended extensive reclamation, necessitating blocking to reduce flood pressure, but it wasn't just Beihu, Nanhu also affected Xijiang Province's flood prevention. Eventually, leaders of the three provinces held a three-province water conservation meeting at the National Council General Leader Meeting Room, finalizing the decision to block Diao Xiankou, resulting in the current gate."

No one had realized the gate not far away had such a history.

Xiao Yu paused, then pursued, "What about the civil dikes in Angong?"

"Angong's situation is quite different from Xiang'an County in Nanhu Province. Although Angong also has many civil dikes, they've been there for generations, with history tracing back to the Tang Dynasty and even earlier."

"But Angong includes many flood control areas, how can people live in flood control areas?"

"It's not what you think."

"What do you mean?"

"Angong has a large portion as part of the Jingjiang flood control project area. Being a flood control project means it only functions as a flood control zone when activated, otherwise it doesn't."

Han Yu took a deep breath and continued, "Moreover, their three times of flood diversion in 1954 weren't to protect themselves, but to protect the Jingjiang Embankment, the Jianghan Plain on the North Bank, and even Hanwu."

Li Jun, being more educated than Xiao Yu, understood Angong County's circumstances, and sighed, "To sacrifice the small family for the big family, Angong is not easy."

"There's even more difficulty."

Han Yu raised his arm to look at the time on his watch and said gravely, "Master Xi said back when the Jingjiang flood control project was built and later maintained, national funding was severely insufficient; a substantial portion of the funds came from Angong County.

That means they contributed money and effort to build the flood control project, all to eventually breach it and flood their homes to protect others' homes!

And living in the flood control area is like anywhere else, the country gives no preferential policies, agricultural taxes still have to be paid in full, and other levies must be paid as well. Since river embankments are longer than elsewhere, they contribute more labor to river work than citizens in other places."

Xiao Yu was stunned, and after a while, he uttered, "Angong County's people lead such hard lives!"

Compared to Angong County's citizens, Han Yu felt the people of Linghai were truly fortunate, and sighed, "Director Ge said to cope with the recent flood peaks and Jingnan flooding, Angong County exhausted all its money, the treasury account is empty, they even need to get loans from banks."

Li Jun realized it, "No wonder they're collecting flood prevention fees from the public, turns out there's truly no money."

Han Yu nodded, clenching his fist and said, "That's why we must do everything to defend the Jingjiang Embankment, ensuring we don't activate the Jingjiang flood control project like in 1954; otherwise, Angong County's loss will be greater, and its people will live even harder lives."