PENALTIES of more than 60 million yuan (US$9.42 million) have been paid by companies for polluting Shenzhen this year, with the highest single fine at 650,000 yuan, after a new environmental protection law took effect Jan. 1, the Shenzhen Evening News reported yesterday.

    After the new law was introduced, the city’s environmental authorities have stepped up inspections and increased prosecution of violations.

    In the first quarter of 2014, there were 304 cases involving environmental violations citywide, but none of them were criminal cases.

    In the first two quarters of this year, 14 pollution cases were transferred to police for further criminal investigation. The number soared to 23 in the third quarter. The penalties given out rose from 17.88 million yuan to 23.69 million yuan over the past three quarters.

    As a result of intensified inspections and increasing penalties, environmental violations around the city dropped by 25 percent in the past three quarters compared with the same period last year, official said.

    Penalties of 60.73 million yuan have been paid by companies that caused pollution in Shenzhen this year. A company in Longgang District that illegally discharged untreated sewage was given the highest single fine of 650,000 yuan.

    The city also implemented the enforcement of a “daily penalty” after the new law took effect, which means companies that violate the law will be fined each day until they cease violating the pollution law.

    Hong Xiaoqun, the spokesperson of the city’s human settlements and environment commission, said Bao’an District has over 400 companies that are polluting, which is more than in any other district in the city. With the new regulations, environmental violations in the district have dropped by 5 percent over the past year.

    The Bao’an District authority also encourages residents to report environmental violations in Bao’an District by calling 2775-6420 or messaging the official Weibo account of the district’s environmental protection and water affairs bureau.

    People will get a reward of up to 3,000 yuan after their reports on environmental violations are verified.

    (Zhang Yang)