Inspection exposes pollution violations

Untreated sewage, illegal fishing plague key water bodies along Yangtze River

Teams from China's high-profile central environmental inspection have exposed a series of violations concerning water pollution control as it forges ahead with a monthlong inspection of seven provincial-level regions along the Yangtze River, with many local authorities rebuked for dereliction of duty and falsification.

Launched on May 7, the latest batch of inspections will prioritize looking into the performance of governments in regions including Yunnan, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan provinces in promoting well-coordinated action to conserve the Yangtze, the country's longest watercourse.

Working under ministerial-level officials, teams of the central environmental inspection report to a central group headed by a vice-premier.