Water levels which once surpassed warning lines in major rivers in south and east China saw continuous drop with reduction of rainfalls in these areas, said the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Saturday.

Water in most sections of the Xijiang River, which runs through southern Guangdong Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, dropped below the warning line Saturday, the office said.

And all the reaches of the Minjiang River, a major river in eastern Fujian Province, and its tributaries, saw the water level below the warning line.

Flood control work, however, is still tough in these areas, said E Jingping, general secretary of the office and vice-minister of Water Resources.

Weather forecast said moderate to heavy rainfall is expected to sweep Guangxi in the coming two days and might pose new challenge for flood control in Xijiang.

The forecast also said the country's north, in addition to its south, southwest, east and central areas, is expected to see rainstorms in the coming day.

E said the floods caused sever loss to the country, and relief work and reconstruction have begun in the areas where floods began to subside.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs said Friday that so far this year, floods and ensuing calamities caused 567 people dead, 165 missing and the emergency relocation of 2.46 million people in the country, resulting in direct economic losses of 22.9 billion yuan (about US$2.77 billion).

Earlier this week, President Hu Jintao, also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), urged governments at all levels to be conscientious in their service to the people and in the flood-control fight.

Premier Wen Jiabao, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said duty in flood control work must be defined clearly among governmental departments and local officials.

Wen also said big rivers and major reservoirs should be under intensive monitoring, and the safety of major cities and roads should be taken as a priority.

In Guangdong, more than 1.33 million people are mobilized to fight against floods, and the provincial government had allocated 15.05 million yuan (US$1.82 million) for relief.

Also, quarantine has started. In Guangxi, more than 300 medical teams and epidemic prevention teams were dispatched to flood-hit areas, and 20 tons of disinfector and pesticide were provided to people there.   

(Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2005)