China's environmental watchdog has said that the use of drone will be a common practice in detecting pollution in the country.
Zou Shoumin, a senior official from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said this in a statement on Monday.
Zou said his ministry uncovered several pollution cases in Handan in north China's Hebei province in March this year, with the assistance of drone.
The violation cases involved 12 industrial companies, ranging from ill operation of green equipment, excessive emission to use of obsolete production devices and construction of unapproved project.
Local authorities have asked the enterprises to suspend production or review their operation procedure. Those responsible for the pollution have been warned or detained.
Media reports say Handan, alone with several others in Hebei province, are among the top 10 polluted cities in China.
