RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT PREPARES FOR SPRING FLOODS








MOSCOW, 2 March. /Corr. RIA Novosti/ -- Russian emergencies minister Sergei Shoigu announced during a meeting with the heads of the regional departments of his ministry that the Russian government was preparing for the spring floods and was deciding the appropriate funding for preliminary measures. Issues surrounding the deployment of forces for dealing with the floods were also discussed.


	According to Shoigu, top-priority financing will be given to deal with the effects of melting ice flows, which in some cases measure over two metres, on Siberian rivers. He said that a lot of hard work lay in store, as in the majority of the country's regional snowfalls had exceeded the norm by an average of two-three times.


	Shoigu reported that reserves of explosive materials would be set up. The minister said that the Ministry of Nature and the State Work Safety Committee would check the technical state of the largest hydro-technical works, shoreline dams and reservoirs.