BHUBANESWAR: AMID frequent flying of drones over Shree Jagannath temple at Puri, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has declared the shrine area as a ‘Red Zone’ where such devices cannot be operated without the permission of the Central government.
The DGCA notified the red zone in its air space map on the DigitalSky platform on September 26, marking the zone type as restricted. The restriction will continue for a period of three years till September 25, 2028.
It is applicable on flying manned aircrafts, unmanned aircrafts, and remote controlled drones. The area is currently a no-flying zone as per provisions of Drone Rules, 2021. Drones cannot be flown around the temple as per rule 22.
According to drone rules of DGCA, red zone means the airspace of defined dimensions, above the land areas or territorial waters of India, or any installation or notified port limits specified by the Central government beyond the territorial waters of India; within which drone operations shall be permitted only under exceptional circumstances by the Central government.
This year, Puri police have intercepted several drones for flying over the Srimandir, the latest incident being reported on Friday. Police seized a drone with the help of a special aerial device and registered a case under the Aircraft Act.
Earlier, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had decided on adding a new clause to the Shri Jagannath Temple Act to prevent the flying of drones over the Srimandir. The DGCA move has been welcomed by temple servitors and devotees.
