<strong>China: Tobacco Subcompany Leadership Guides Earthquake Disaster Relief</strong>

Source from:  Qujing Tobacco Monopoly Administration 08/11/2014

The leadership of Huize County Tobacco Subcompany in Huize County of Qujing City in southwest China's tobacco-producing Yunnan Province, which doubles as Huize County Tobacco Monopoly Administration, has actively guided the relief of disaster from a powerful earthquake hitting the neighboring Ludian County in Zhaotong City of Yunnan.

At 16:30 local time on August 3, Ludian was stricken by a powerful earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale. The earthquake killed at least 617 people and injured more than 3,000 others. Over 12,000 houses collapsed and 30,000 were damaged, with the total economic losses estimated at 460.26 million yuan (75 million U.S. Dollars).

In Huize County, Yiche Township immediately neighboring Ludian County and a number of other areas in the vicinity including Leye Township, Malu Township and Huohong Township also suffered damages from the earthquake to different extents.

On August 4, members of the leadership of Huize County Tobacco Subcompany led a delegation of leaders of the relevant departments to the disaster areas to check damages from the earthquake and visit staff members of the local leaf tobacco stations and points, specifically examining damages sustained by curing barns, cisterns and warehouses of leaf tobacco stations and points in Zhicang Village and Liyuan Village in Yiche Township, visiting the homes of cigarette retailers at Zhicang Village, and showing concern for the livelihood and cigarette sales by retailers in the wake of the earthquake.

After the earthquake took place, the tobacco subcompany immediately contacted the various leaf tobacco stations (or points) to initially sum up damages from the earthquake, and specifically raised an eight-point requirement for work:

Firstly, efforts shall be made to organize local tobacco growers to repair the curing barns damaged in the disaster, to ensure that leaf tobacco production will not be negatively impacted.

Secondly, before completion of repair of the damaged curing barns by local tobacco growers, efforts shall be made to earnestly do a good job of making readjustment to and arrangements for curing barns available for use, to ensure that the matured leaf tobacco of the tobacco growers sustaining damage will be picked in time, and to prevent new losses.

Thirdly, efforts shall be made to organize simple repair of the cisterns damaged in the earthquake, to ensure that they can be used to reserve water to the full this year, and to guarantee that leaf tobacco production in the coming year will not be negatively impacted.

Fourthly, efforts shall be made to demand a stop of the use of all dormitories damaged in the earthquake, and have the personnel affected temporarily live in the relatively safe offices or meeting rooms.

Fifthly, efforts shall be made to enhance the awareness about safety, strengthen the management of human resources, and do a good job of screening of hidden dangers and making preparations for emergency relief.

Sixthly, efforts shall be made to actively organize donation of funds and supplies, to show concern for the livelihood of victims in the disaster areas.

Seventhly, efforts shall be made to organize self-inspection and self-examination of possible hidden dangers against safety and essential parts in the warehouses, dormitories, etc in the entire county.

And eighthly, efforts shall be made to do a good job of self-help in production, in order to resume normal production as early as possible.

Presently, all work of disaster relief by Huize Tobacco Subcompany is underway in an orderly way, with the total workforce fully engaged in the work of self-help in production and restoration in the wake of the earthquake, in striving to minimize the damage from the disaster, and in doing all that can be done to guarantee the interests of local tobacco growers. Enditem