Vice-Minister of Land and Resources Shou Jiahua said on Wednesday that local governments should use the time before the rainy season to complete prevention and treatment programs and carry out another round of examination in disaster-prone areas.

The announcement was based on the weather forecasts and the long term monitoring, according to the China Daily on Thursday.

In recent years, geological disasters have led to huge human and economic losses. Shou said the number of deaths in 2003 was less than 900, compared with more than 1,000 on average each year in 1990s.

Since the dangerous period is also the best time for most construction work, especially in view of the country's current large-scale infrastructure development, Shou urged constructors to take care.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2004)