Water levels receded in major rivers in both the south and east, bringing a little relief to areas devastated by flooding, said the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Saturday.

Water in most sections of the Xijiang River, which runs through southern Guangdong Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, dropped below the warning level on Saturday, the office said.

The Minjiang River in Fujian Province and its tributaries also saw water sink below the warning level.

Flood control work, however, is still difficult in these areas, said E Jingping, secretary-general of the headquarters and vice minister of Water Resources.

Meteorologists predicted moderate to heavy rainfall to hit Guangxi today and tomorrow. It could pose a new challenge for flood control efforts along the Xijiang.

E said the floods caused sever loss to the country and that reconstruction work has begun in areas where floods began to subside.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs on Saturday urged all flood-hit areas to make unremitting efforts in disaster relief and give top priority to the safety of people.

In an urgent circular, the ministry spelled out a series of measures to be taken in disaster relief work:

*Devote all resources to cope with emergencies including the transfer, relocation and supply of materials, as well as begin medical treatment.

*Closely monitor the conditions of disasters and transfer people out of dangerous areas.

*Ensure personnel are on duty around the clock to report and transmit information on disaster and disaster relief situations quickly.

There should also be people on duty 24 hours a day at the central disaster relief materials storage depot.

The ministry warned that punishment would follow if any delays, cover-ups or inaccuracies in the reporting system cause serious consequences.

The ministry said on Friday that floods and flood-related natural disasters have killed 567 people dead, left 165 others missing and caused the emergency evacuation of 2.46 million people in the country this year.

The floods caused a direct economic loss of about 22.9 billion yuan (US$2.77 billion).

President Hu Jintao urged governments at all levels to be conscientious in their service to the people and in fight to control the floods.

Premier Wen Jiabao said flood control responsibilities must be defined clearly among governmental departments and officials.

Wen also said big rivers and major reservoirs should be monitored closely and the safety of major cities and roads should be a priority.

In Guangdong, more than 1.33 million people were mobilized to fight floods, and the provincial government allocated 15.05 million yuan in disaster relief.