The State Council also urged the enhancement of monitoring and forecasting of rains, floods and geological disasters.
Local governments must ensure the safety of major rivers, large- and medium-sized reservoirs and key infrastructure facilities, the State Council said.
The State Council pledged to provide greater support to local governments in their fight against the floods.
The State Council vowed to enforce flood control accountability and to severely punish those whose performance is lax.
Although major rivers are well dredged, water resource projects along China's small- and medium-sized rivers have relatively weak flood control capabilities, according to the State Council.
Related:
HK Observatory issues tropical cyclone warnings on Chanthu
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| Boats sail to a port in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, July 21, 2010. Tropical storm Chanthu is expected to land from Yangjiang in Guangdong Province to Qionghai in Hainan Province early on July 22. (Xinhua/Hou Jiansen) |
HONG KONG, July 21 (Xinhua) -- As tropical storm Chanthu continues to move closer to Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory issued a tropical cyclone bulletin on Wednesday afternoon, raising the warning to Strong Wind Signal No. 3.
This means that winds with mean speeds of 41 to 62 kilometers per hour are expected, said the Hong Kong Observatory.Full story
Tropical storm approaches south China, Qiongzhou Strait closed to traffic
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| Fishing vessels anchor at Xingang Port to take shelter from the approaching tropical storm Chanthu in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, July 21, 2010. The tropical storm Chanthu is expected to land onto the coastal areas from Yangjiang of south China's Guangdong Province to Wanning of south China's Hainan Province on July 22. (Xinhua/Hou Jiansen) |
HAIKOU, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Qiongzhou Strait between the Chinese mainland and Hainan island was closed Wednesday as tropical storm Chanthu headed towards south China, said local maritime authorities.
The strait was closed to shipping at 10 a.m., said a spokesperson with the Haikou Maritime Bureau.Full story
Riverbank bursts, 3,000 residents evacuated in NE China after rainstorms
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| A man struggles his way in the flooded field in Tieling County, north China's Liaoning Province, July 21, 2010. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng) |
SHENYANG, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Rainstorms caused a riverbank to burst in northeast China's Liaoning Province early Wednesday, with over 3,000 local residents evacuated, local authorities said.
The 20-meter-long breach occurred at 4:30 a.m. at Tieling County's Aji section of the Shengli River, a branch of the Liaohe River, said an official at the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.Full story
Worst floods in a decade leave 701 dead in China
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| Submerged streets are seen at Qu County in Dazhou City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 18, 2010. A torrential flood swept the county on Sunday. The flood peak level was 4.66 meters higher than the safe line. (Xinhua/Wu Tao) |
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Torrential rains and floods, the worst in a decade, have claimed the lives of 701 people and left 347 missing in China since the beginning of the year, according to government figures Wednesday.
Floods had hit 27 provinces and municipalities, affecting 110 million people and 8.06 million people had been relocated, figures from the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Civil Affairs show.Full story
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Special Report: China Fights Against Floods
