Chinese provinces that failed to tackle pollution named by government

Name: China’s air and water quality significantly improved during coronavirus pandemic lockdowns
Uploaded: 2021-07-16T08:43:14.000Z
Duration: 2 min 2 s
Description: China’s air and water quality significantly improved during coronavirus pandemic lockdowns

Environment ministry singles out two provinces after its latest inspections, saying they have failed the government and the public

Provinces ordered to submit rectification plans, with firms and individuals threatened with fines, closures and criminal punishment

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Reuters

Published: 4:43pm, 16 Jul 2021Updated: 9:29pm, 17 Jul 2021

The Chinese provinces of Henan and Yunnan have failed to meet public expectations when it comes to tackling pollution and cleaning up their air, rivers and soil, the environment ministry said after the completion of inspections.

The central government launched its fifth round of environmental audits in late May to see how Henan, Yunnan and six other provinces and regions had managed to comply with laws and regulations.

The inspection teams set up hotlines for local whistle-blowers and are given powers to make spot checks at firms and summon any official for interview. During the inspections, firms can be punished and fined, and officials even face dismissal or detention in the most serious cases.

In separate statements referring to the two provinces, the ministry of ecology and environment said both Henan in central China and Yunnan on the southwestern border had made some progress but neither meet “the requirements of the central government or the expectations of the public”.

Both provinces have been ordered to draw up rectification plans and submit them to the State Council within 30 working days. Failure of firms and individuals to rectify the problems will result in fines, closures and potentially criminal punishment.

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China’s air and water quality significantly improved during coronavirus pandemic lockdowns

The local governments of Henan and Yunnan could not be immediately reached for comment.