CHENNAI: The State government is conceiving an elaborate plan to set up the Drone Corporation of Tamil Nadu to make best use of drones in various sectors such as agriculture, disaster management, health, forest, wildlife, education, urban development, traffic management, mining etc.
The meeting explored the possibility of making Tamil Nadu State a Drone Manufacturing Hub using drone technology developed by Anna University, Chennai. State Development Policy Council (SDPC) Vice Chairman C Ponnaiyan has chaired a meeting in this regard on June 10 wherein Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, Vice President, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology made a presentation on the project.
Sources said in the agriculture sector, drones would be useful in spraying pesticides in an effective way.
Normally, during manual spraying, more quantity of pesticides is used which sometimes harms the soil as well as plants.
But when drones are used, they spray the pesticides like mist so that the pesticides will deposit only on the plants or crops.
It also avoids suffocation to the human beings and drones can cover wider areas in a short duration of time. For the entire Tamil Nadu, a huge number of drones would be required for agriculture purposes alone.
Besides, drones can also be useful for controlling locusts which are now playing havoc in the northern States.
Sources also said the Kudimaramath scheme can be monitored from Chennai. The drones reveal what was the position before taking up the Kudimaramath work and how much efficient work is done after some time.
It would be useful in documenting other aspecting of this scheme like the quantum of soil dug out from the lands, ponds, lakes etc.,
The other uses of drones include maintaining law and order and to do surveillance for VIP movement.
Drones can be engaged in transportation of organs for emergency surgeries in a short span of time. Besides, drones can generate employment opportunities for youth also. Youth can be engaged in driving drones.
Anil Meshram, Member Secretary, SDPC, Greater Chennai Corporation, and the Vice Chancellor, Anna University,ThiruvalluvarUniversity, and Director, Centre for Aerospace Research, MIT/Anna University participated in the meeting.