On July 30, reporters learned from the Anhui Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development that the standard-reaching rate of sponge city construction is expected to exceed 50%.

It is reported that since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the province has newly built or upgraded over 4,000 kilometers of rainwater drainage networks, and improved urban pumping and drainage capacity by 1,106 cubic meters per second.

All 16 prefecture-level cities in the province have completed the construction of special application scenarios for urban lifeline safety projects focusing on drainage and flood prevention. The provincial regulatory platform and municipal monitoring platforms have achieved interconnection and real-time data sharing.

Among them, Hefei City has fully integrated the concept of sponge city construction into urban drainage and flood control as well as water environment management. It has adopted sponge-based measures tailored to local conditions for source runoff control, effectively reducing peak flood flows and lowering the risk of urban waterlogging. In 2024, the area of Hefei meeting sponge city standards accounts for 44.22%, exceeding the annual target.

According to the plan, Anhui will conduct special inspections on urban drainage and flood prevention, actively plan and apply for projects to enhance urban drainage and flood control capabilities. The province will continue to systematically advance sponge city construction across all regions, aiming for a compliance rate of over 50% by the end of 2025.

The Anhui Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development will guide Hefei in carrying out the national pilot urban renewal construction work, coordinating the updating and renovation of underground urban pipelines and municipal infrastructure improvements, to enhance the level of urban waterlogging prevention and control.

Source: Hefei Evening News