RANCHI: The Jharkhand Excise and Prohibition Department will deploy 150 drones to monitor illegal liquor manufacturing and storage units in remote areas, dense forests and rugged terrain.
Equipped with thermal imaging technology, they can also conduct surveillance at night.
Excise Minister-in-charge Yogendra Prasad witnessed a demonstration of the drones on Wednesday and reviewed their capabilities. He said technology would strengthen the campaign against the illegal liquor trade and improve enforcement.
“The use of technology has become essential in the current scenario. Modern technology is being leveraged to strengthen the department and effectively curb the illicit liquor trade,” said the minister.
Officials said the initial focus would be on forests, hilly terrain, areas around rivers and streams, and remote locations suspected of being used for illegal liquor production or storage.
Secretary of the Excise and Prohibition Department Sandeep Singh said the technology would be used across all districts. It could be particularly useful in the forests and inaccessible areas of Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro and Hazaribagh.
Dense forests, uneven terrain and remote locations often make it difficult for excise teams to reach illegal production units and track routes used to transport liquor, officials said.
“Conducting aerial surveys of these regions using drones will assist the department in gathering information about suspicious activities,” said an Excise and Prohibition Department official.
Images and videos recorded during drone surveys will be stored securely and monitored from a control room to help officials identify suspicious locations. Excise teams will then investigate these areas and, if they find evidence of illegal liquor production, storage or trade, conduct raids and initiate legal action.