Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan urged Beijing and other cities to improve their urban planning and increase their disaster prevention and control capability.

The call came as the vice premier inspected the capital after downpours caused casualties and traffic jams in some major cities earlier this month.

The vice premier said all localities and departments should increase investment in water supply and drainage, energy and telecommunications infrastructure. They should improve their disaster prevention sand rapid reaction systems to protect the life and property of the general public.

Beijing, as the capital of China, should constantly improve its urban construction and management capability, said the vice premier, who inspected the city Tuesday.

A sudden strong rainstorm that hit Beijing on July 10 caused five houses to collapse and injured three people.

According to the city’s anti-flood and drought headquarters, the storm toppled 59 trees and water seeped into 4,698 houses. Media reports say hundreds of cars were partially immersed in flooded streets.

The July 10 downpour represented a severe test of Beijing’s infrastructure and rapid-reaction capability, said Zeng.

He said the Beijing municipal government moved swiftly to minimize the damage and is preparing for more bad weather conditions.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2004)