VIJAYAWADA : Andhra Pradesh State police will use the advanced technology such as drones and artificial intelligence to control the organisers from conducting banned rooster fights and other illegal activities in the name of Sankranthi festivities.
Director general of police (DGP) Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao held a video conference meeting with all the district superintendent of police (SPs) and inspector general of police (IG) rank officers and instructed them to intensify the checkings to ensure the festival of harvest Sankranti celebrated with fervor.
According to officials, Andhra Pradesh state police have 130 high quality drones and necessary instructions were given to all the ground level officers to carry out periodical drone based patrolling in all the identified problematic locations. The banned bloodsport is famous in Krishna, NTR, Eluru and Godavari districts, particularly during Sankranti.
Despite there being a ban, rooster fights and gambling are conducted in a big way every year in Coastal Andhra districts. Special focus is on eight districts - NTR, Krishna, Eluru, West Godavari, East Godavari, Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram and Dr BR Ambedkar Konamseema districts and additional forces were deployed at all districts to avoid untoward incidents during the festival.
Recently, the state high court also expressed their displeasure on police for not implementing the orders issued 2016 banning the blood sport, strict enforcement during the three days of the festival.