Individuals or organizations found responsible for lapses in forecasting
weather-related disasters will face administrative punishment or criminal
charges in East China's Jiangsu Province, says a new local regulation.
The province's first Meteorological Disasters Prevention Regulation will be
implemented next month.
So said Bian Guanghui, dean of the Jiangsu Provincial Meteorological
Administration, on Tuesday.
Those who are found guilty of a dereliction of duty in the forecasting of
meteorological disasters that lead to massive casualties or economic losses will
now have to face the consequences, according to the rule.
Administrative punishments could mean being fired or demoted.
Any local radio or TV station which refuses to give extra air time for
information on meteorological disasters will be fined between 5,000 and 30,000
yuan (US$625-3,750). Top officials at any station involved could also be fired
or removed to other positions.
Meanwhile, those who release false meteorological disaster precautions and
thereby cause social chaos will also be fined at least 5,000 yuan (US$625).
The regulation also forbids the demolition of meteorological supervising
facilities. Those who violate the rule could face criminal charges.
Buildings must be evaluated
The regulation states that meteorological experts must evaluate major
construction projects and urban planning before such schemes begin. This is in
case they could influence the function of meteorological facilities, perhaps for
being too tall and too close to a weather station.
The regulation also designates that weather broadcasting facilities such as
electronic boards and radio announcement stations should be established in
densely populated places such as ports, railway stations and major roads to
inform people in plenty of time of possible weather changes.
According to Bian Guanghui, Jiangsu is one of several regions most vulnerable
to disastrous weather changes. Direct economic losses caused by bad weather like
typhoons and flooding in the province have totalled 30 billion yuan (US$3.75
billion) in the last three years.
Several other major provinces and municipalities including Shandong, Sichuan
and Chongqing have drafted or implemented their own meteorological disaster
prevention regulations in recent months.
Like Jiangsu, their rules also warn of administrative punishments or criminal
charges if there is misconduct in disaster precautions and prevention.
The regulations come because the country's meteorological administration
teams have decided to do more to curb weather-triggered disasters.
According to meteorological experts, lapses in forecasting, such as delaying
or giving false information on weather-triggered disasters could cause
substantial economic losses and injuries.
Recent statistics from the China Meteorological Administration show such
disasters have killed at least 2,705 people already this year, with a direct
loss of 170 billion yuan (US$21 billion).
