China's environmental watchdog has imposed tougher penalties and larger fines on companies and individuals following the introduction of the revised environmental protection law in January.

The new legislation allows environmental protection agencies to impose fines on a daily basis as long as problems remain.

It also gives environmental protection authorities the power to close down polluting companies and seal off their facilities.

Experts describe the measures as the "teeth" of the revised anti-pollution law.

Chang Jiwen is the deputy director of the Research Institute of Resources and Environmental Policies at the State Council Development Research Center.

"The new environmental protection law has added claws to the usually weak enforcement efforts. The Ministry¹ of Environmental Protection this week halted the Xiaonanhai hydropower project. It shows that the government is getting tough on enforcing the revised environmental legislation."

As a result, the Ministry of Environmental Protection has collected roughly 12.3 million yuan or nearly 2 million U.S. dollars in fines from big polluters in the first two months after the new legislation took effect.

It has also handled hundreds of other cases that saw polluters' production halted, suspects detained or their property seized.