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.
 
(CRI August 10, 2007)