2,682 officials held accountable in environment inspections
BEIJING - In recent inspections, China held 2,682 local officials to account for poor environmental protection efforts, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said Saturday.
The central government just wrapped up its month-long second round of inspections in seven provincial regions including Beijing, Shanghai and Hubei, to review local government work.
Through public tip-offs and random checks, inspectors looked into 12,005 cases and imposed fines totalling 243.03 million yuan (about $35 million).
China is fighting pollution and environmental degradation after decades of growth left the country saddled with problems such as smog and contaminated soil.
The central government put forth a national plan on environmental improvement for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), earlier this month, which set detailed tasks on polluted air, water and soil.
- 24 Chinese cities on pollution red alert
- President Xi extends good wishes in New Year speech
- President Xi urges new media outlet to "tell China stories well"
- President Xi calls for more effort on free trade zones
- China to release environmental forecasts on three Nansha reefs from Jan 1