Chinese administrative departments concerned recently went on an investigation tour to look into the trend of a rebound of environment pollution and damages brought by a large number of enterprises, of which some 18,000 were investigated and rigorously punished.
Among those enterprises punished, 2,400 were closed down, 1,200 suspended and ordered to straighten things out before going back to production, 5, 000 with fines imposed, and 400 persons in charge punished according to law.
Since May this year, an investigation group from the State Economic and Trade Commission, China Environmental Protection Bureau and State Forestry Bureau had been on a joint inspection tour of 12 provinces in China. The result was that a number of serious cases were looked into and with the polluters being punished a curb was effectively put on the rampancy of pollution. So far, a total of 54 people who had been in charge of local governments and departments were punished.
Due to investigations made and relevant laws enforced, people in China have come with enhanced awareness to look after their environment and environment construction and protection. This is especially so among those enterprises investigated and persons punished at various levels and in various places in China such as Beijing, Chongqing, Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Shandong.
Although a curb has been placed on a crop of ecological problems and environment pollution in some areas, yet there are still other problems of a similar nature plaguing other places in China and solutions have to be found.
(People's Daily 09/27/2001)
