The Guangdong provincial government will give each family rendered homeless by the floods 5,000 yuan (US$604) to help them rebuild their homes.

Deputy Governor Li Ronggen, presiding over a disaster relief meeting on Tuesday, said that victims must be provided with new homes before this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on September 18.

Guangdong experienced its worst case of flooding in 100 years earlier this month with direct economic losses estimated at 4.31 billion yuan or slightly over US$520 million.

The situation is still potentially dangerous as more heavy rains and typhoons are expected in the coming months.

Ou Guangyuan, vice secretary of the provincial committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said that communications authorities are to set up special task forces to survey affected roads and to repair damaged bridges, culverts and side-slopes.

He added that the sanitation department is to step up the monitoring of any epidemic outbreak.

Emphasis was also put on the repair of irrigation systems, embankments and the resumption of agricultural production in flood-stricken areas.

Ou said disaster relief funds were crucial to the resumption of production and governments at all levels should strengthen fund-raising efforts.

(Shenzhen Daily June 30, 2005)