BEIJING -- China held 130 officials accountable for environmental damage after the latest inspections by central authorities, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said Thursday.

As of Aug 5, 41 people had been detained and 65.086 million yuan (about $9.24 million) of fines were imposed following the environmental inspections started in the first half of July.

The inspections covered six provincial regions and two centrally administered state-owned enterprises.

Southwest China's Chongqing posted the highest number of violations, followed by Fujian and Hainan provinces.

The inspections are part of China's campaign to fight pollution and environmental degradation as the country aims to achieve notable progress in pollution control, one of "the three tough battles," by 2020.