Premier Li Keqiang called for better scientific planning and a greater sense of responsibility in flood prevention and control during a meeting with provincial leaders of flooded areas.

Premier Li Keqiang chairs a meeting on flood prevention on Tuesday night in Yueyang city after inspecting flood-control work in the flooded areas of the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers during the day. Photo provided to China Daily

Li chaired a meeting on flood prevention on Tuesday night in Yueyang city, central China's Hunan province, after inspecting flood-control work in the flooded areas of the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers during the day. The meeting established plans for flood prevention and control, emergency response and disaster relief.

According to a report presented at the meeting by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, the early arrival of heavy rainfall has led to the flooding and parts of the country face extremely difficult conditions of rain and flooding this year.

Premier Li Keqiang chairs a meeting on flood prevention on Tuesday night in Yueyang city after inspecting flood-control work in the flooded areas of the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers during the day. Photo provided to China Daily

Water levels have crossed the warning mark in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Dongting and the Poyang lakes, as well as more than 200 rivers, damaging middle- and small-sized flood control facilities.

Li said that water conservation and flood prevention and control have always been of utmost importance to the stability of the country and well-being of people.

"We must, first and foremost, ensure the safety of the people as well as the security of major embankments and major facilities. Second, we need to focus our efforts on preventing basin-wide floods and secondary disasters," he said.