The central environmental inspection team exposed 1,022 cases of pollution in the Tibet autonomous region during a month of random checks, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Wednesday.Polluters involved in 784 cases paid fines totaling 28 million yuan ($4.3 million), while 148 government officials were held accountable during the inspection, which began in mid-August.Despite achievements made in environmental protection in recent years, they did not meet the central government's requirements and the public's expectations, the ministry said.Inspectors also found that efforts to increase tourism in some areas had harmed the environment.For example, illegal infrastructure for visitors like a viewing deck, parking area and toilets were constructed in the buffer region of the Nam Co Nature Reserve, and untreated sewage was found to have been directly discharged inside the reserve.In addition, inspectors found that six of the 10 existing sewage treatment plants were not operating properly, leaving part of the sewage untreated.Thirty-five percent of complaints were about garbage, including poorly operated landfill sites, the ministry said.Inspectors said some leaders failed to realize the importance of Tibet, thinking that a little pollution or damage would not have a huge influence on the vast region. This meant they did not give sufficient attention to environmental protection, leading to unbalanced development of the economy and ecology.Tibet has made progress in promoting the construction of transportation infrastructure to improve livelihoods, but supervision has been loose on some projects.For example, since 2013, construction had started on 242 rural roads before environmental impact assessments were passed. Twenty of those projects still have not passed.The government in Tibet is required to hand in a plan for solving the problems within 30 days to the State Council. The plan will be released to the public.Central environment inspection teams visited 31 provincial regions, of which Tibet was among the final group, exposing a total of 135,000 pollution problems and holding over 18,000 officials accountable, data from the ministry showed. how to take off festival wristbandsilicone bracelet makerslap wristbandscustom fidgetblack rubber braceletsflash drive wristbandcheap silicone wristbands
COLOMBO - The European Commission has allocated 300,000 euros in humanitarian funding to Sri Lanka to bring emergency assistance to communities affected by the recent floods, a statement by the EU in Sri Lanka said Friday. "This contribution from the EU will allow our partners on the ground to provide relief to the most-impacted families. This is an expression of solidarity from the European people to the people of Sri Lanka," said Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management. The EU-funded assistance will focus on the most pressing needs of the affected families in the immediate aftermath of the floods, including access to clean water and sanitation facilities, the provision of essential household items, as well as emergency shelter. The EU funding is being made available via the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) through its Small Scale Response mechanism. Additionally, the Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Center has activated its Copernicus mapping service upon request from the World Food Program. The Copernicus maps will focus on the Southern and Western areas of Sri Lanka that have been affected by the rains, the EU statement said. The death toll in Sri Lanka caused by major floods and landslides reached 206 on Friday with 92 people still missing, the Disaster Management Center said. Over 650,000 people have been affected while an estimated 100,000 people having been shifted to safe locations. Over 10,000 houses have also been fully or partially destroyed. Days of severe rains since May 26 caused major floods and landslides in at least seven districts of the country - the worst floods to hit Sri Lanka since 2003. International assistance has also poured into the country in addition to naval teams from India, Pakistan and China coordinating with the Sri Lanka Navy in the relief assistance.
