The government and enterprises should continue to step up efforts in pollution and emission control to ensure targets set previously are met, according to a meeting of the State Council.

The government should "slack no efforts" to cut pollutants and emissions to meet the targets as the situation remains "grave", according to a statement issued Wednesday after the councils' executive meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao.

The government set the goal to cut emissions of major pollutants, sulfur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 10 percent from 2006 to 2010, the 11th Five-Year Plan period.

According to the meeting, the central task at present is to ensure pollution treatment facilities run normally.

Vigorous efforts should be made to cut pollution from sectors including thermal power, iron and steel, non-ferrous metal, cement, paper making making, chemical, brewing and printing and dyeing, it said.

The statement said the toughest standards should be applied in the management of water resources to ensure safe drinking water for people.

Emissions of sulfur dioxide in China dropped 10.4 percent last year compared with that of 2008, Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian said Monday.

Zhou said the country's COD and emissions of sulfur dioxide fell for four consecutive years after the targets were set at the beginning of 2006.

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2010)