China to ensure disaster-hit residents can return home soon

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities said Saturday they will ensure that residents affected by disasters can return home or resettle in new homes as soon as possible.

During a video conference, the office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management said that the main flood season continues, and that the flood and drought situations in China's various regions remain "very complicated."

The two departments called for flood control and drainage work to continue in the Haihe River Basin by strengthening inspection procedures and security for flood channels and dikes in flood storage areas. Plans should also be made to ensure the security and production safety of industrial and mining enterprises during the flood season, they added.

The National Meteorological Center said in a forecast early Saturday that rainstorms are expected to hit parts of northeast China's Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces over the next three days, posing a moderate disaster risk. Rainstorms will also hit parts of Tibet and the provinces of Sichuan, Hunan and Shaanxi over the next three days.

Heavy floods and other rain-triggered disasters have hit many parts of China, especially the country's northern and northeastern regions, since early August, causing damage to property and forcing people to evacuate to safety.

In contrast to flooding in some regions, northwest China's Xinjiang and Gansu face a severe drought. The two government departments said that the emergency response will be optimized to ensure the drinking water supply for residents in the affected areas and to mitigate the drought's impact.