Environmental watchdog gets tough over pollution

The national environmental watchdog has imposed tougher penalties and larger fines on companies and individuals following the introduction of revised legislation.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has imposed the new daily fine measure to 26 companies with the total amount of more than 12.4 million yuan ($2 million) nationwide in the two months after the updated Environmental Protection Law took effect on Jan 1.

In addition, production plants belonging to 527 companies were closed, 207 businesses were ordered to suspend their operations, and managers at 147 companies were placed in administrative detention in January and February, the ministry revealed on Friday.