1,300 firms punished in China for violating pollution norms

Over 1,300 companies have been punished in China's Shanxi Province, which suffered the worst smog this winter, for violating anti-pollution regulations with a fine of USD 3.1 million collected from them.
The campaign by local environmental law enforcers started mid-December and focused on construction and production that violated regulations, the provincial environmental protection department said.
Fines worth 21.5 million yuan (USD 3.1 million) have been meted out and 33 people punished.
More than 200 small heavy-polluting companies have been closed and 95 others ordered to limit or suspend production.
The department sent five work teams to supervise the campaign in 67 counties.

Over 40 Chinese cities, including Beijing, witnessed worst air pollution outbreaks in the last two weeks following which Beijing city has announced the formation of environment police force to enforce rules.
China has a four-tier colour-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.