China to take precautionary measures for flood, drought relief

BEIJING - The Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying on Saturday called for efforts to take precautionary measures for flood control and drought relief work in a bid to safeguard the security of people's lives and property and ensure the water supply.

Li, also the deputy head of the nation's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, made the remarks at a meeting.

From Saturday to Wednesday, torrential rainfall is forecasted to lash the valleys of Pearl River, Huaihe River, Yellow River, Haihe River and Liaohe River, possibly triggering floods, the minister warned.

Meanwhile, Li heightened the drought relief work in parts of Huaihe River, Yellow River and Haihe River basins, as droughts have whacked these areas.

Li urged related department to focus on mountain torrents prevention, enhance disaster warning, organize emergency evacuation for locals and ensure reservoir safety.

On drought relief, efforts should be made to issue drought warning in a timely manner and activate emergency response according to regulations and ensure the safety of drinking water, Li said.

The Ministry of Water Resources launched a level-IV emergency response for drought prevention at 4 pm Saturday as droughts have hit provinces of Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu as well as the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.