Individuals or organizations found responsible for lapses in
forecasting weather-related disasters will face administrative
punishment or criminal charges in east China's Jiangsu Province, says a new local
regulation.
The province's first Meteorological Disasters Prevention
Regulation will be implemented next month.
So said Bian Guanghui, dean of the Jiangsu Provincial
Meteorological Administration, on Tuesday.
Those who are found guilty of a dereliction of duty in the
forecasting of meteorological disasters that lead to massive
casualties or economic losses will now have to face the
consequences, according to the rule.
Administrative punishments could mean being fired or
demoted.
Any local radio or TV station which refuses to give extra air
time for information on meteorological disasters will be fined
between 5,000 and 30,000 yuan (US$625-3,750). Top officials at any
station involved could also be fired or removed to other
positions.
Meanwhile, those who release false meteorological disaster
precautions and thereby cause social chaos will also be fined at
least 5,000 yuan (US$625).
The regulation also forbids the demolition of meteorological
supervising facilities. Those who violate the rule could face
criminal charges.
Buildings must be evaluated
The regulation states that meteorological experts must evaluate
major construction projects and urban planning before such schemes
begin. This is in case they could influence the function of
meteorological facilities, perhaps for being too tall and too close
to a weather station.
The regulation also designates that weather broadcasting
facilities such as electronic boards and radio announcement
stations should be established in densely populated places such as
ports, railway stations and major roads to inform people in plenty
of time of possible weather changes.
According to Bian Guanghui, Jiangsu is one of several regions
most vulnerable to disastrous weather changes. Direct economic
losses caused by bad weather like typhoons and flooding in the
province have totaled 30 billion yuan (US$3.75 billion) in the last
three years.
Several other major provinces and municipalities including
Shandong, Sichuan and Chongqing have drafted or implemented their
own meteorological disaster prevention regulations in recent
months.
Like Jiangsu, their rules also warn of administrative
punishments or criminal charges if there is misconduct in disaster
precautions and prevention.
The regulations come because the country's meteorological
administration teams have decided to do more to curb
weather-triggered disasters.
According to meteorological experts, lapses in forecasting, such
as delaying or giving false information on weather-triggered
disasters could cause substantial economic losses and injuries.
Recent statistics from the China Meteorological Administration
show such disasters have killed at least 2,705 people already this
year, with a direct loss of 170 billion yuan (US$21 billion).
(China Daily August 31, 2006)