Premier Wen Jiabao (1st L) talks with residents at a supermarket in Harbin.

    Before the meeting was held, Wen and State Councilor Hua Jianmin visited the Third Water Plant of Harbin at 1 p.m. He was pleased on hearing 700 tons of active carbon had been delivered to the city.

    "You are shouldering the responsibility of resuming water supply. I hope you will work harder," Wen said to soldiers and factory staffs who were busy downloading bags of active carbon.

    Later, Wen visited the Central Shopping Mall & Supermarket in the central city. Seeing crowds buying things and bottles of mineral water filled on shelves, Wen asked a resident if he had difficulties in having clean water at home.

    "We have stored more than we can use," said the resident Zhang Xiaohua.

    "Don't worry. The water supply will resume in two days," Wen told Zhang.

    The Premier then inspected the Songhua River at 1:30 p.m., and urged local departments to strengthen water surveillance.

    In the afternoon, Wen also visited the people at a residential compound in Nangang District, telling the residents that he was grateful to their understanding and support and the cooperation with the government.

    At 2 to 4 p.m., the premier went to visit the workers at a well-drilling field and talked with college students at their dormitory.

    The Songhua River in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, suffered major water pollution as a result of a blast that had occurred in the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Jilin Petrochemical company on Nov.13.

    The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have ordered local and relevant authorities to strengthen surveillance, provide accurate information and take effective measures to ensure water supply and water safety to the people. A working team and some experts sent by the State Council has also arrived in Harbin to guide the anti-pollution efforts.

    As the polluted water in Songhua River is expected to flow intothe Heilongjiang River (also called Amur River in Russia) on the Sino-Russian border, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Saturday informed Russian Ambassador to China Sergey Razov of the situation with the Songhua River's water pollution and measures taken by the Chinese government to tackle the issue.

    Also on Saturday, China informed the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) of the river pollution. Enditem