The Stream, July 13, 2021: Thousands Evacuate Sichuan After Heavy Rains Cause Flooding

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN

• Thousands are evacuated from the Chinese province of Sichuan due to flooding.
• Heavy rains flood villages in north Bihar, India, cutting them off from metropolitan cities and aid.
• First Nations groups in Australia plead the federal government to distribute $40 million promised to them in 2018 for to buy water.
• Applications open to test for lead in drinking water throughout schools in the U.S. state of Georgia.

PFAS chemicals are contaminating a West Michigan river.

“There’s a serious problem with groundwater entering the Rogue River.” – Rick Rediske, an environmental chemistry professor at Grand Valley State University. The Rogue River is contaminated with chemicals either dumped or spilled by Wolverine World Wide, a company responsible for poisoning groundwater with PFAS chemicals. MLive reports that the river not only shows clear signs of impact from chemical loading but is spreading the contaminants to other major rivers and into Lake Michigan. Rediske said there are numerous spots along the river where groundwater containing PFAS at levels far higher than the state’s water quality standards, which start at 12-ppt, is entering the river.

• In context: Michigan’s Groundwater Emergency

IN RECENT WATER NEWS

In Case You Missed It:

HotSpots H2O: Kazakhstan’s Lake Balkhash is Disappearing, Continuing a Trend of Desiccation in Central Asia – For decades, Lake Balkhash, and the seven rivers that empty into it, has been endangered by increased evaporation and the extraction of water for agriculture.

What’s Up With Water – July 12, 2021 – This week’s episode covers a call in China for greater protections along the Yellow River and a controversial pipeline that will not be built in Tennessee.

Heavy Rains Flood Villages in North Bihar

Dozens of villages in north Bihar, India, have been flooded by torrential rain and swollen rivers, the Hindustan Times reports. Road connectivity to many remote villages and outskirts of towns have been cut off due to inundation, which caused all major rivers in the area to rise to dangerous levels. Farming has also been affected, with rains drowning thousands of hectares of land.

TODAY’S TOP WATER STORIES, TOLD IN NUMBERS

4600 PEOPLE

More than 4,600 people have been evacuated in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan due to heavy rain and flooding, Reuters reports. Although no casualities have been reported, the floods have overall affected more than 120,000 people and caused more than $27 million in damages.

$40 MILLION  

First Nations groups in Australia are calling on the federal government to deliver the $40 million promised in 2018 to buy water supplies. The 2018 plan was announced as part of a deal that would have allotted more water to be recovered for the environment in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. A representative for the Department of Agriculture, Water and environment told ABC News it would continue to work on the program to deliver the funding.

ON THE RADAR

Schools in the U.S. state of Georgia have been invited to apply for a program to test for lead in drinking water, the Associated Press reports. Up to 800 schools can apply free of charge, thanks to a $980,000 grant from the federal government. Priority for the program will be given to elementary schools, as studies have shown exposure to lead in young children can cause irreversible mental and physical damage.

Jane Johnston

Jane is a Communications Associate for Circle of Blue. She writes The Stream and has covered domestic and international water issues for Circle of Blue. She is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, where she studied Multimedia Journalism and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. During her time at Grand Valley, she was the host of the Community Service Learning Center podcast Be the Change. Currently based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jane enjoys listening to music, reading and spending time outdoors.