The provincial government of Jiangsu, east China, had recently decided to
further raise its maximum fine for enterprises who viciously
pollute Taihu Lake to a record high of one million yuan, five times
of the original punishment quota against local water polluters.
According to official Xinhua website reports on Friday, the new
tough move came from a revised local regulation in response to the
worsening water pollution in Taihu Lake, one of China's biggest
fresh water lakes.
Earlier, the province only imposed a maximum fine of 200,000
yuan, or about US$26,000 against those who discharge pollutants
into Taihu Lake. However, the cap fine has proved not that much
effective in curbing the worsening situation of pollution around
the lake, which led in the end to a worst and biggest ever algae
pollution in May in Taihu Lake, almost paralysing millions of local
people for their safe drinking waters.
According to the new move, local governments around the lake
where possible polluter are located will have to make compenstions
to the afflicted regions and their people.
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(CRI August 10, 2007)