Twenty-nine government officials in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, were punished for malfeasance in a case of illegal disposal of chemical wastewater last year, said the local water resources watchdog.

The case found four suspects discharging 100 tons of untreated chemical waste water into the city’s sewage pipes in March last year.

It caused more than 17 million yuan of financial losses as it affected the operation of two local sewage treatment plants. The discharge also disrupted local people’s life as it produced foul smell that lasted for as long as 50 hours, and killed fish in a stream.

The wastewater was produced during the process of oil storing and the suspects, who are not qualified for waste treatment, were tasked with taking care of it by Guangzhou Guanchang Lubricant Co.

The officials punished took gifts and held banquets with the company responsible for the disposal. They include those with local environmental protection bureau, market and quality supervision and regulation administration, and the subdistrict office, according to local paper Yangcheng Evening News.