BEIJING -- China's top legislature will send four teams of lawmakers to inspect enforcement of the water pollution control law in eight provincial-level regions across the country.

The inspectors convened their first plenary meeting here Monday.

The inspection is a concrete action taken by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) to implement decisions and plans of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and to assist in the fight against pollution, said Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, while presiding over the meeting.

The inspection will be led by Li himself, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Li instructed lawmakers to rigorously perform their duties in accordance with the law and identify the prominent environmental problems that obstruct the implementation of the law and harm the interests of the public.

He also required lawmakers to explore effective working methods and listen to voices from the primary level, so as to improve the quality and efficiency of the inspection.

In addition to sending inspection teams, the NPC Standing Committee will also entrust standing committees of the remaining provincial-level people's congresses to inspect the enforcement of the law within their jurisdictions.