The executive meeting of the State Council, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, ordered the launch of a batch of projects to tackle industrial sources of pollution and treat urban sewage.

"Priority shall go to treatment and protection of collective sources of drinking water in large and medium-sized cities to ensure the safety of drinking water and water quality of the China-Russia border river," said the meeting.

It sets targets for the pollution prevention and control by 2010, which include:

Sources of drinking water in large and medium-sized cities in the area should be treated and put under protection.

Treatment of urban sewage of major cities and major sources of industrial pollution should be fulfilled.

Major pollution hazards should be effectively controlled and monitored.

Total volume of discharge of major pollutants should be effectively controlled.

Water quality of seriously polluted water bodies in large and medium-sized cities should be improved.

Monitoring of water quality and improvement of water pollution early detection and emergency response mechanisms.

The meeting said the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to prevention and control of pollution in this area and has put it on the 11th Five-Year (2006-2010) Plan for national economic and social development.

"Doing the job well is of great significance to reinvigorating the old industrial base of Northeast China, boosting coordinated economic and social development and improving people's lives," the meeting said.

The Songhua River suffered grave pollution last November, caused by leakage from an upstream chemical plant. It forced cities along the river to temporarily suspend drawing water from the river, affecting the lives of millions of residents and normal operation of businesses.

The meeting also approved in principle draft amendments to a set of regulations on issuing compensations in land expropriation for large and medium-sized water conservancy and hydroelectric projects and relocation of residents, which adjusted the standards of compensation and subsidies.

In addition, it approved a list of new cultural relic sites to be put under state protection.