A fisherman's wife wipes away tears on a boat on Tuohu Lake in Wuhe county, Anhui province, as thousands of fish killed by pollution float on the surface of the water. Liu Junxi / Xinhua

Latest data from the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the top prosecuting authority, show that 27,101 people faced charges of either pollution, illegal mining or deforestation last year.

Courts nationwide heard 19,000 such criminal cases, up by 18.8 percent year-on-year, as well as 78,000 civil disputes relating to the environment and ecology, according to figures provided by the Supreme People's Court.

The revised law also made it clear that environmental NGOs have the right to file public-interest lawsuits against polluters, which has also helped the courts, the academy report said.

Forty-eight such lawsuits were brought by NGOs last year, while the number between 2007 and 2014 was just 65. More than one-third were filed in the southern province of Guizhou, mainly focusing on soil and water pollution, the report added.