State Councilor Wang Yong urged stepped up efforts to enhance accountability and capacity to cope with major floods to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

Wang, also head of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, made the remarks while inspecting and instructing on flood prevention and disaster mitigation work in North China’s Hebei province on July 31.

In Zhangjiakou, he scrutinized flood prevention facilities in venues for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games before checking the construction of the embankment along the Haihe River and its flood control projects. He also checked the implementation of flood control and drainage measures in low-lying and flood-prone spots in urban areas.

Recently, local heavy rainfall has caused disasters, which offer a lesson to be learned, he noted, urging related departments to be on high alert to disastrous weather, screen out shortcomings and hidden dangers in flood prevention work, and take targeted efforts to improve them.

Solid efforts must be taken to prevent and respond to a flood situation, ensuring safety in flood season, he added.