More snow predicted for China's heartland
HEAVY snow and blizzards are forecast across China's industrial and agricultural heartland over the next three days, as the country struggles to recover from its worst winter weather in 50 years.
Authorities are still battling to repair power lines and ensure food supplies after severe weather damaged millions of hectares of crops and killed more than 70 million animals.
The National Meteorological Center said yesterday that snow and sleet would hit six provinces spanning the central, eastern and northern regions, including Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu .
Blizzards were also expected in the northwestern part of central Hubei Province, already plagued by winter storms earlier this month.
The weather center advised local governments and power, transport and communication authorities to prepare emergency relief work.
The forecasts came as more than 1.66 million people displaced by the winter freeze remain in temporary shelters.
The cold, which has driven up food prices and contributed further to a surge in inflation to an 11-year high of 7.1 percent in January, has caused 151 billion yuan (US$21 billion) in economic losses, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The central government has promised to help all those whose homes were damaged in the winter storms to build permanent houses in the coming four months, Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said yesterday.
"The restoration of damaged houses must be finished by the end of June, though the task remains very tough," Hui said in Beijing.
He asked local governments to devise preferential policies, such as subsidies and providing cheap construction materials.
As a national standard, the government will give 1,500 yuan for each room in a damaged house.
"Relief funds and materials will reach the victims promptly," Hui said, adding that poverty-stricken regions and needy families would also enjoy preferential policies on heating, health care and education services.
In central Hunan, which is the hardest hit province by the snowstorm, each family that lost their home would receive 5,000 yuan from the government and be exempt from 80 percent of personal income tax.
Meanwhile in northern China, a prolonged drought that began last winter has damaged about 11 million hectares of arable land, including 317,000 hectares of crop land.
Winter rainfall in parts of central north, northeast and northwest China was between 20 to 70 percent of average falls, affecting drinking supplies for 2.43 million people and 1.89 million head of livestock, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters reported yesterday.