Building firms working in Beijing will be fined up to 200,000 yuan (US$25,000), seven times as much as previous penalties, if they violate a new noise management regulation approved by the city’s municipal government.

 

The regulation stipulates that loud construction work should not occur between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. or during middle school or college entrance examination days except for emergencies, the city's environmental protection bureau said Sunday.

 

The new regulation also bans street sellers from using loudspeakers to attract customers with fines of up to 50,000 yuan (US$6,250) for offenders.  

 

Home owners will also be fined if the noise from home improvement work severely affects their neighbors.

 

Beijing has experienced worsening noise pollution alongside its rapid development. Nearly half of all environmental complaints are about noise from construction sites, business hawkers or home improvements, according to the environment bureau.

 

"A sound sleep should not be a luxury for residents," said a bureau spokesman.  

 

The previous noise management regulation was issued in 1984 and revised in 1997 but it no longer meets the demands of residents, according to the bureau.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2006)