Vice premier stresses drought relief efforts

Sheep graze in the dried-up Longwei Reservoir in Qianjing town of Yuzhou city, central China's Henan province, Aug 5, 2014. Lasting drought in Henan has led to the drop of streamflow of rivers, left 35 percent of the medium- and small-sized reservoirs dried up and affected 740,000 people and 100,000 cattles. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on Wednesday told local authorities to take effective measures to fight drought and minimize losses.

Wang, general director of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, said at a meeting that efforts must be made to ensure safe water supplies.

The government must help farmers control the impact of drought and ensure stable output, he said.

Wang said the central government will allocate funds to drought regions to restore production.

The vice premier also urged reform on water pricing to raise water-saving awareness.