Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu Tuesday called for greater efforts to fight droughts and flood disasters, and especially the disasters brought by the recent cold snap.

Relevant authorities at all levels should step up monitoring and warning on the cold wave, maintain smooth flow of traffic and a sound circulation of necessities for the public, strengthen anti-disaster technological guidance on agriculture and animal husbandry to ensure vegetable and other farm byproducts supply, soas to maintain a good economic and social order, said Hui at a meeting jointly held by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the National Disaster Reduction Commission.

Local governments were urged to take measures to combat droughts, provide safe drinkable water for residents in the disaster-hit zones.

Hui also urged relevant departments to devote more efforts to restore the damaged water conservancy projects, and offer adequate food, clothes and medical treatment to people in the disaster-hit regions.

A strong clod snap began to hit a vast range of areas in the country from January 2, bringing snowstorms and a temperature plunge of up to 18 degrees Celsius in some regions.

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2010)