BEIJING, April 14 -- Over 3,100 officials were held accountable for poor environmental protection in the latest round of state environmental protection inspections.

Central government inspection teams met with over 4,600 people during its inspections of Beijing, Chongqing, Gansu, Guangdong, Hubei, Shaanxi and Shanghai last November and December, detaining 265 of them for irregularities.

The teams received about 4,350 complaints from Guangdong Province, the most among the seven regions while Shaanxi Province has the most officials being held accountable.

Lack of awareness of environmental protection was found to be a common problem and water pollution a universal challenge.

Local governments still have to improve infrastructure such as domestic waste treatment facilities, according to the inspection teams.

The seven municipalities and provinces have been asked to make rectification plans to be submitted to the State Council and made public.

The central government environmental protection inspection promotes green development and began in 2015 in Hebei Province. The whole country is to be inspected this year and a new round of inspections will start as soon as late April.