Eco-watchdogs need to do their job to abate pollution

Weeks after a central government inspection team completed an extensive survey of environmental protection in North China's Hebei province, the central authorities have reportedly decided to dispatch environmental ombudsmen to several other provinces for a new round of inspections.

Of course, this could be seen as the central government enhancing oversight of environmental policy implementation.

More importantly, however, it shows that direct central government intervention has become the last-resort treatment for the country's environmental ailments. Since local environmental watchdogs have not been working as required.