Six industries in China have been fined by a high court in the eastern Jiangsu province for pollution of rivers. The companies have been fined 160m yuan and that the fine is the highest ever in China. The fine has been levied as a result of a public interest litigation filed against the polluters.
The companies fined were found guilty of polluting in August and had discharged 25,000 tonnes of chemical waste in to two Taizhou rivers. China in recent times has economically progressed but has also caused a widespread environmental damage. It is also facing a pressure internationally to clean up its environment.
Every day more number of protesters are coming out with the concern of pollution. The government in the country has informed that the about 70% of the lakes and rivers in the country are polluted. Martin Patience from BBC said that the record fine is encouraged by the environmentalists and is also a sign that the government is finally concerned about the issue and is falling tough on the polluters.
An appeal by the companies was rejected by the Jiangsu Provincial Higher People’s Court and has ordered the companies to pay fines towards the environmental protection fund within 30 days.
Photo Credits: yale
