Vice premier calls for high vigilance against floods

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged both the governments at different levels and the people to remain highly vigilant against possible coming floods so as to reduce human and property losses to the minimum.

"We should continue to keep highly watchful and never slack our efforts since the main flood season is continuing and typhoon season is approaching," he said when inspecting the Pearl River delta plagued by flash floods.

The middle and lower reaches of the Xijiang River, trunk stream of the Pearl River, have recently suffered the biggest flood in more than a century and the Minjiang River, a tributary of the Pearl River, suffered a flood once in twenty years, due to straight days of heavy rainfall.

On behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, Hui has traveled to the flood-hit areas to extend gratitude to both the people and the soldiers who are working at the front lines of flood fight.

The flood control work should be decided and carried out scientifically, he said.

Both the life and production of the flood victims should also be arranged properly, said Hui.

"Control work against mountain torrents, mud flow and flash floods in major rivers and reservoirs should be appropriately done to reduce human casualties as much as possible," he said, when inspecting some front-line sites.

"The government is highly concerned about the flood situation and the living condition of the people in the disaster areas," he said.

But, he believed, with joint efforts by the people and the soldiers, there is no flood that can't be overcome.

Source: Xinhua