(ECNS) -- Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may be a solution to China's long-time problem in fighting air pollution by businesses stealthily discharging illegal emissions.
Recently, law enforcement officials from the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection carried out a special air pollution inspection in North China, across Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei province and surrounding areas, using UAVs to inspect key areas, busting six enterprises that violated pollution control guidelines, Caixin.com reports.
Since November 2013, environmental protection authorities have been using UAVs to monitor pollutant discharge and the operation of desulfurization facilities related to the steel, coking and power industries, according to the report.
A number of provinces have employed UAVs to assist in law enforcement on air pollution prevention since 2014, it added.
The latest survey by the National Remote Sensing Center of China has also shown that many Chinese research institutes have found that UAVs have great potential for civil use and are actively carrying out R&D to meet market demand.
Cities such as Tianjin, Guilin and Shenzhen are offering supportive policies to encourage the development of remote UAV sensors as a strategic emerging industry.
