The country is facing severe flooding this year and action should be taken to strengthen contingency plans, flood prevention officials said yesterday.

"For many years China's major rivers have not flooded severely," said Cheng Dianlong, deputy director of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

"It increases the chances of major flooding in the coming days."

Cheng made an analogy between flooding and the lottery.

"When there has been no big prize after eight of 10 tickets have been sold, the probability of the top prize being found among the rest is pretty good."

There have been no major problems as flood season approaches, with water levels of all major rivers and lakes below warning lines, he said.

The last major rainfalls in the central and eastern regions were between April 17 and 20, followed by two heavy rainfalls in Shandong province.

But, Cheng warned: "the flood season is just beginning."

Water volumes in the upper stream of the Yangtze River are 20 percent higher than usual.

The ministry sent out 10 teams early this year to examine major river regions before the flood season and the implementation of plans at local levels.

The ministry also put prevention measures in the earthquake-hit area of Sichuan province at the top level.

The region, located at the junctures of the Yangtze, Jialing and Minjiang rivers, has seen high frequency of floods.

(China Daily May 12, 2009)