Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 891 - 847 Landslide Lake Crisis
Chapter 891: Chapter 847: Landslide Lake Crisis
Chapter 891 -847: Landslide Lake Crisis
“What? A landslide lake?!”
Upon hearing this news, General Leng got up abruptly, his nerves taut. This elder, the great steward of the nation, had been averaging no more than three hours of sleep a day since the earthquake occurred. Regardless of whether it was in the wee hours of the morning, he was still up, receiving reports from officials everywhere and coordinating support from across the country.
His face, which showed considerable fatigue, now filled with shock. After a pause, General Leng quickly said, “Commander Shen, do you have a military map of the area around Yizhou?”
At this time, a civilian map was far less accurate than a military one. On a military map, the direction of mountains and peaks, the course of rivers and their elevation drops, and all the surrounding details were meticulously outlined, a feat that civilian maps could not achieve.
So, upon hearing about the landslide lake, the first thing General Leng thought of was to check the military map.
The Tianfu Military Region had prepared thoroughly. Upon learning that Yizhou City was one of the hardest-hit areas, the intelligence department of the region had already prepared detailed military maps of Yizhou City and even the neighboring provinces.
Soon, a military map was brought out. Shen Jiantao stepped forward and quickly pinpointed the location on the map. After marking the general area of the landslide lake with a pencil, Shen Jiantao said, “Commander, it should be here. This place is called Qin’s Ridge.”
General Leng nodded and gravely said, “So, we will name this the Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake. Have the depth, width, and length of the lake been measured yet? Also, Governor Nie, I need you to coordinate with the water experts from the province, and have them all come here immediately.”
With the order from Nie Zhenbang, Bashu Province dared not delay. Moreover, with the commander there, there was absolutely no one in the province bold enough to play any tricks at such a time. To do so would be tantamount to having a death wish.
By seven o’clock in the evening. As the sky gradually darkened, water experts from the Water Resources Department and the University of Bashu had arrived in Yizhou City. At the same time, the survey team dispatched by the military had also returned.
Inside the tent, several emergency lamps hung around the tent’s perimeter; the electricity supply in Yizhou’s urban area was still not restored, and these emergency lights had been fully charged beside diesel generators during the day.
General Leng sat next to the conference table, flanked by Deputy Prime Minister Nie and other leaders from Bashu Province. General Leng spoke, “This time, we are addressing the issue of the Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake. The experts present here are the protagonists. Based on the measured data, is the Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake likely to impact Yizhou City?”
As his words ended, an elderly professor of about seventy years old, a water expert from the University of Bashu with the title of an academician of both national academies and receiving a special allowance from the State Council, who also served as a Ph.D. advisor and held the title of a water consultant for the State Council, adjusted his glasses. He was an old acquaintance of General Leng.
Looking at General Leng, the old professor said, “Commander, based on the measured data, the entire lake surface exceeds three thousand meters in length, with the deepest part reaching sixty-three meters. The average width is seventy-five meters. That is to say, setting aside the slope of the mountain, the Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake is currently holding at least ten million cubic meters of water, and it may even reach a maximum of fourteen million cubic meters.”
After his statement, a middle-aged expert from the Provincial Water Resources Department added, “Old Tang, according to the reports, heavy rain began to fall yesterday upstream on the Camel River above Yizhou, causing the river level to rise rapidly. According to the estimates, we are at the stage of a sharp increase in the water level, rising extremely fast every hour.”
After this person finished speaking, everyone around fell silent. General Leng then asked, “Old Tang, based on your experience, does the Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake pose any severe threats going forward?”
Old Tang also fell silent at this moment. This wasn’t an academic discussion; it was a matter of national significance that allowed no room for carelessness. As a scholar, Old Tang knew that every word he spoke at this moment was linked to the safety and lives of countless people – this was no child’s play.
There was a pause before Old Tang slowly began, “Qin’s Ridge, located 36.5 kilometers from the Yizhou Urban Area, forms a massive landslide lake where the dam body was created by the collapse of the Qin’s Ridge mountain massif blocking the river. As of now, Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake is still in the initial stage. Additionally, the entire upstream catchment area covers more than four thousand square kilometers. Given the rate of flow, the water surface area, width, and depth of Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake will continue to rise, forming a huge freshwater lake with at least a storage capacity of more than two hundred million cubic meters.”
Indeed, as a senior scientist, he began with the fundamentals, analyzing the formation of the landslide dam and its future step by step.
Old Tang continued, “Moreover, according to the actual measurement data, the dam body of Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake now exceeds one thousand meters in length, with the maximum width across the river being 813 meters. Based on this dam structure, at least 180 million to 200 million cubic meters of water can be stored. And according to geological data over the years, the dam body mainly consists of stones and weathered soil from the mountainside. Additionally, the geographical structure of the Qin’s Ridge region has been severely damaged by the recent strong earthquake, making it extremely unstable. Add the potential for strong aftershocks and torrential rain, and if the area of the landslide lake increases, it will become more and more difficult to manage, not to mention the risk of dam failure. Should that happen, all of Yizhou would be within the range of flood impact, with unimaginable consequences. My opinion is, it is better to act sooner rather than later, and to be proactive rather than reactive. We should solve this crisis thoroughly while the Landslide Lake is still relatively small, to avoid a situation where it becomes too large to manage.”
As the words fell, Nie Zhenbang also spoke up, “Ladies and Gentlemen of the leadership, we passed by Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake on our way here. Qin’s Ridge is located deep in the mountains, with inconvenient transportation, no roads, and it is impossible for large engineering machinery to enter. Moreover, such a large dam body cannot simply rely on manpower; it is simply not feasible whether we use blasting or other means. I believe this is the most difficult problem we face right now.”
Nie Zhenbang, having undergone three years of grueling military training, knew a thing or two about blasting. Now, the geological structures around Qin’s Ridge were already fragile, and any form of blasting might trigger a secondary landslide, forming an even larger dam. Moreover, considering the current situation, the volume of the landslide is immense, and thorough clearance is out of the question.
Old Tang nodded his agreement at this moment, “Governor Nie is right. It’s utterly unrealistic to attempt to eliminate Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake completely.”
Seeing the Premier’s puzzled look, Old Tang continued, “Leader, let me put it this way, Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake has definitely formed, and it will surely exist in the future. Now, my point is to ensure that Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake never fails. That would be a success.”
Upon hearing this, Premier Leng nodded and said, “Old Tang, Comrades, there are experts in every field, and we follow the directives and command of water conservancy experts in this matter. You tell us what to do, and we’ll do it. Whatever is needed, we’ll provide it. My attitude is to support you fully, and my requirement is to ensure there are no casualties and to secure the lives and property of the millions of people downstream. Whether to completely remove or retain the landslide lake, that’s up to you. In the initial stages, I suggest we dispatch a battalion from the Armed Police Hydropower Troops, and I recommend immediately establishing a water conservancy monitoring leadership group. Not only for Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake but for the entire province, to specifically address other potential or already formed landslide lakes. This task could be taken up by the Ministry of Water Resources, Bashu Province Water Resources Department, and major water experts. Guowei, you are in charge of notifying Comrade Fang Wufan from the Ministry of Water Resources about this.”
At this point, Old Tang once again spoke up, “Leader, to address the issue of Qin’s Ridge Landslide Lake, we’ll inevitably need a large amount of engineering equipment. But given the conditions at Qin’s Ridge?”
Before he could finish, Premier Leng waved his hand and said, “Old Tang, rest assured, my word is always good.”
With that, Premier Leng looked toward Shen Jiantao and said, “Commander Shen, regarding the issue with the large engineering machinery, I’m entrusting it to Tianfu Military Region. Military equipment from across the nation and the entire army can be made available to assist you. I don’t care if you have to carry it on your back or shoulder, or if you need to airlift it with helicopters or airdrop it with transport planes; I just want results. Ensure that Old Tang and his team have enough engineering machinery. There is no room for negotiation—this task must be carried out with all due effort. Any problems?”
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Premier Leng’s words were bold and authoritative, leaving no room for further discussion, and at this point, what could Shen Jiantao say? He immediately stood up and saluted, “Leader, the Tianfu Military Region will devote all efforts to ensure the task is completed.”
The night passed without incident, and the next day, the earthquake relief work in Yizhou City was fully handed over to Sun Jialuo. Nie Zhenbang then joined Premier Leng and the others on their return journey to Tianfu City.
The convoy left Yizhou City and arrived at Changhong City in the afternoon, where Premier Leng and his team made a stop to visit the relocated disaster victims. By 7 p.m., they finally reached Tianfu City.
Upon returning, Nie Zhenbang went straight to his office, where he needed to handle the relief efforts and disaster information from various places.
Just as he had settled into his office, Nie Zhenbang’s phone suddenly rang. It was a call from An Na. (
