BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting on June 30 to study and make arrangements for flood control and drought relief work. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.
The meeting noted that during this year's main flood season, China will continue to face more extreme weather and climate events, with both droughts and floods posing significant challenges. All regions and relevant departments must further heighten their awareness, maintain bottom-line thinking, prepare for worst-case scenarios, focus on preventing major floods, combating severe droughts and guarding against strong typhoons, and take concrete measures to ensure all work related to flood control, drought relief, emergency response and disaster mitigation is carried out effectively.
Stressing that safeguarding people's lives must remain the top priority, the meeting called for improving the accuracy of monitoring and forecasting, organizing evacuations in a timely and decisive manner, and making utmost efforts to prevent mass casualties. Measures must be taken to ensure flood control safety on major rivers and lakes, with comprehensive strengthening of management over flood discharge areas along rivers. Close attention should be paid to the risk of abrupt transitions between drought and flooding, with coordinated efforts in both flood control and drought relief, alongside unified management and allocation of water resources. The meeting further called for ensuring the safety of major infrastructure and projects under construction during the flood season, stepping up the identification of potential hazards, and strengthening the protection of agricultural infrastructure.
It is imperative to swiftly and efficiently carry out emergency response, rescue and disaster relief operations, further boost emergency preparedness in terms of response forces, equipment and supplies, enhance overall coordination and pre-positioning, and improve rescue capabilities under extreme conditions, according to the meeting. It called for carrying out disaster relief and assistance work with utmost dedication, and taking concrete steps to ensure that the basic living needs of those affected are met. The meeting also emphasized channeling resources to the grassroots level and shifting forces to the front line, in an effort to strengthen capacity for flood control, disaster mitigation and emergency relief at the primary level.
The meeting stressed that Party committees and governments at all levels must faithfully implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and strictly fulfill their responsibilities under the flood prevention and drought relief accountability system. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters should strengthen overall coordination, command and deployment, while all relevant departments should perform their duties.
The meeting urged officials at all levels to firmly establish and practice a correct understanding of governance performance, strengthen on-duty arrangements, command at the front line, and organize and mobilize the public to make all-out efforts in disaster prevention, mitigation and relief. Party organizations at the grassroots level, Party members and officials should give full play to their primary and exemplary roles, shoulder responsibilities and lead the charge in flood control, drought relief, emergency response and disaster mitigation, so as to effectively protect people's lives and property and maintain overall social stability.
The meeting also deliberated on other issues.■
