(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-11-26 14:00

BEIJING - China's environmental watchdog plans to significantly raise fines for polluting in effort to protect the country's much threatened drinking water resources.

Maximum fines to individuals or companies, who discharge highly toxic pollutants into drinking water resources, was raised five fold to 500,000 yuan (about US$ 67,600), according to a draft regulation publicized by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

Those who dump industrial residue or urban waste into drinking water resources, or store solid waste or other pollutants below the waterline along the banks or at the beach land of rivers, lakes, canals and reservoirs, will face a fine of up to 200,000 yuan, 20 times the current amount.

The draft regulation also lifts the restriction of maximum fines to enterprises blamed for water pollution accidents, saying that fines will vary from 20 to 30 percent of the direct economic loss according to the severity of the incident.

Enterprises should also bear all costs for containing the accidents and those causing serious water pollution accidents will be closed.

Fines to enterprises causing serious water pollution incidents are not allowed to exceed one million yuan, according to the existing regulation on water pollution control.

The draft regulation was delivered to all central authorities and provincial governments on November 13 for feedback, SEPA said.

A 2006 survey revealed China's surface water generally suffered from medium pollution. One third of the 744 samples were graded "V", the worst pollution rating.

According to SEPA statistics, the administration handled 161 emergent environmental pollution accidents in 2006, 59 percent of which involved water pollution.

The current Law on Water Pollution Prevention and Control was enacted in 1984. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, started amendments to the law in August. In September, the General Office of the NPC Standing Committee publicized a draft amendment to the public and invited feedback.