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Vice-Premier Calls for Drought-relief Efforts
Chinese Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao has called for redoubled efforts to fight against the drought that has ravaged the country since spring.
The drought, the most severe since 1978, has hit 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China. It has not only brought heavy losses to crops but also caused food shortages in some rural areas and water shortages in some cities.
At a work conference on drought relief held in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, on Friday, Wen urged local officials to take concrete steps to ensure food and water supplies.
He said that taxes and fees in the drought-striken areas should be reduced or canceled according to state regulations.
Droughts serve as a warning in a country which has low per capita water resources and increasing water demands due to social and economic development, he said. Priority should be given to water-saving efforts and improvement of water efficiency, he added.
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