Flood control vision

The question Beijing residents are eager to ask the municipal government now the rainy season has started, is: Will the floods that killed 77 people on July 21 last year be repeated?

The answer is no, thanks to preparations the capital has made, despite weather forecasts predicting this summer's rainfall will be 10 to 20 percent more than the yearly average.

All the waterways have been dredged, so have all the drainage pipes. Advanced equipment has been installed to monitor the water levels in major waterways and test the depth of water in the major underpasses that are vulnerable to rainstorms. Flood response plans have been made for every vulnerable road section, underpasses in particular, to prevent disasters. Yellow and red danger marks have been drawn at more than 400 spots where rainwater pools easily. Once a storm strikes, guards will be sent to danger spots to give warnings.