FOLLOWING heightened supervision in the city, over 470 environmental violations were reported in the first quarter of 2015 — nearly 50 percent increase than last year, Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau said yesterday.

A revised China Environmental Protection Law has come into effect since the beginning of this year. Referred to as China’s “strictest environmental protection law,” the new law set higher fines for law violating enterprises. Enterprise owners who refuse to follow renovation orders by environment officials will be given administrative detentions.

A total fine of 28 million yuan (US$4.5 million) was collected from 476 cases of violations. The two figures reflect a jump of 47.3 percent and 44.7 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year. A large number of the violations related to illegal discharge of waste water and gas, as well as unlicensed disposal of industrial wastes.