Wang Zhiqiang on Party members and officials charging to where they are needed most

Wherever they are needed, Party members and officials must charge there

-- A profile of Wang Zhiqiang, Party secretary of the Jia Song Town Party committee in Nanhe County

Correspondent Yang Yongli, Hebei Daily reporter Zhang Yongli

The torrential rain on July 19 caused water levels in the upstream river channels to rise sharply, putting Jiasong Town in Nanhe County, located along the Shunshui River and the Nanli River, in a state of emergency. At 9:30 that night, the meeting room of the Jiasong Town government was brightly lit. "Except for the pregnant women comrades, everyone else goes to the front line." Town Party secretary Wang Zhiqiang issued the first order. Party members and officials across the town mustered "twelvefold spirit" and immediately began patrolling and reinforcing the riverbanks.

Wang Zhiqiang instructed the Party members and officials: "Use loudspeakers, WeChat groups, QQ groups and other means to promptly release weather and flood information to the villagers. Village-assigned officials and village Party members should go door to door to mobilize the masses to evacuate to higher ground." After 2 hours of evacuation, more than 3,000 villagers had been relocated to safe areas.

On July 24, the floodwaters receded somewhat, and the troops that had come to reinforce arrived with boats. The assault boats were dispatched, but because they were unfamiliar with the situation, no one dared to enter the village rashly. Wang Zhiqiang was the first to step forward, jumped onto an assault boat, and led the soldiers deep into the floodwaters.

After days and nights of arduous fighting, they successfully rescued more than 600 trapped people in Sushizhang Village, more than 1,000 in Wuzhuang, and more than 1,400 in Baifo Village.

"There were no casualties in the whole town, and the safety of the people's lives and property was protected to the greatest extent possible." Wang Zhiqiang said with relief that the 9,460 people evacuated cumulatively across the town had, in the shortest possible time, been ensured hot meals, clean drinking water, clothing and beds to sleep in.

We met Wang Zhiqiang in the vegetable greenhouses north of Sushizhang Village in Jiasong Town. He was gathering forklifts to work with the growers to clear away the silt left by the flood. He said: "Wherever they are needed, Party members and officials must charge there."