Tiansheng Subdistrict uses the "141" grassroots smart governance platform to analyze grassroots governance challenges and improve governance efficiency. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
Chongqing - Recent downpours have swept across Chongqing, where steep mountains and winding rivers can turn heavy rain into flash floods and landslides within hours.
“A heavy rainstorm is coming, and for your safety, please evacuate!” At around 5 p.m. on Aug. 2, community grid worker Zhang Bin walked door to door in Wujiao Village, Hucheng Township, Liangping District, carrying a loudspeaker to warn residents.
As rainfall intensified later that night, Zhang helped relocate 21 residents from 13 households to the village committee for temporary shelter. He then reported the evacuation through Chongqing’s grassroots smart governance platform, confirming that all residents were safe.
Since Aug. 2, heavy rainfall has affected Chongqing, with some of the heaviest precipitation concentrated in areas including Liangping and Shizhu. The city has used its early warning and emergency response system to identify risks, issue alerts and organize evacuations before disasters occur.
Before the evacuation, Zhang received rainfall warnings and response instructions through the platform, clearly identifying risk areas, evacuation routes and the actions required. “They told us exactly what to do and how to do it,” he said.
In Liangping, village officials and grid workers carried out door-to-door inspections and evacuations in high-risk areas. Through loudspeakers, phone calls and face-to-face reminders, they ensured residents could move to safety in time.
By 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 3, the district had evacuated 466 residents from 239 households across all 25 townships and subdistricts. Among them, 366 residents were relocated before rainfall as a preventive measure. No casualties were reported.
A similar response took place in Yunyang County. After receiving heavy rain warnings on Aug. 2, local authorities launched inspections in areas vulnerable to geological disasters. At 10:11 p.m., grid worker He Maojun reported deformation at the Bamao Mountain landslide site in Longtang Community, where 515 residents from 134 households were potentially at risk.
Within five minutes, township and village officials, along with grid workers, were mobilized to assess the situation and organize evacuations.
“We first evacuated eight households with 15 residents. Later that night, as rainfall continued, we expanded the evacuation and moved another 111 households with 470 residents to safety,” said Zhou Xu, secretary of the Longtang Community Party branch.
From 6 p.m. on Aug. 2 to 8 a.m. on Aug. 3, Yunyang County evacuated 755 residents from 262 households, including 661 people relocated before rainfall. No casualties were reported.
The rapid response was supported by Chongqing’s “141” grassroots smart governance platform, a digital system linking one local command center, four administrative levels and a grassroots governance network. During the rainfall event, it issued nearly 10,000 emergency instructions to frontline personnel.
(Li Jiayan, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)