Drones and satellites will be used to survey drinking water sources in cities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced Friday.

The operation, which will be completed by the end of 2017, aims to inspect the management of drinking water sources in the region and uncover misconduct and loopholes, said a ministry press release.

Stretching from southwest China's Yunnan Province to Shanghai, the Yangtze River Economic Belt covers nine provinces and two municipalities over an area of 2.05 million square kilometers. The area accounts for more than 40 percent of the country's population and economic aggregate.

One priority is checking whether cities have set up and operated reserves around drinking water sources according to the law, the ministry said.

Drones and remote sensing satellites will help the ministry better supervise local governments.

The government will update the results of the survey, including water quality, management loopholes and solutions, via the media.

In March, China adopted a regional development plan highlighting environmental protection and green development.

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