HYDERABAD: Even as drones are increasingly being used in Telangana for spraying disinfectants and for surveillance, the State government has not been taking necessary permissions to operate them from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the nodal body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The DGCA’s current rules stipulate that a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) “shall not discharge or drop substances unless specially cleared and mentioned in UAOP”.
All drone operators other than the operators of nano and micro category are required to obtain unmanned aircraft operator permit (UAOP) from the DGCA. Earlier, for any drone project like the recently-held demonstration of medicine delivery using UAVs at Begumpet airport in March, the State government had obtained special exemptions and permissions from the DGCA.
However, owing to the COVID- 19 outbreak, the State government has decided not go to the DGCA for permissions despite using drones extensively for spraying disinfectants as well as surveillance. It is obtaining the necessary permissions from the local authorities to use drones. Speaking to Express, IT and Industries Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said, “We have been obtaining all the required permissions from local authorities.
In times of pandemic and disasters, the laws and authority of the States are more important.” Ranjan also said it was not just the Telangana government but 10 other State governments that were doing the same, including the Delhi government. Another State government official said, “We have not been obtaining permission from the DGCA as it is a long-drawn process. In terms of emergencies such as the one we are in right now, we need immediate solutions and cannot wait for a long time for its approval.
” Not just now, through the years, the DGCA’s guidelines have been restrictive for drone operators. There has been a call for revision in their guidelines, and various State governments, including Telangana, have been optimistic of the same. With drones playing a critical role in the fight against COVID- 19, and with numerous State governments bypassing the DGCA to carry on its drone operations, it seems inevitable that the guidelines would be revised. If not now, they would be revised soon after the country tides over the COVID-19 crisis.
DRONE SURVEILLANCE VISUALS FROM RACHAKONDA GO VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Hyderabad: Surveillance visuals from Rachakonda are now trending on social media platforms. In one such video, Rachakonda cops were seen monitoring visuals from a control room and giving instructions to personnel on the ground to disperse people who were seen violating lockdown orders. The police are keeping an eye on people stepping out of their homes.
The equipment used to monitor them, such as drones and other systems, were provided by Cyient, a global engineering and technology solutions company. In the latest video, the police personnel are seen monitoring and instructing the police officers to disperse people who gathered at an open space under a tree near BN Reddy colony. Following the instructions, a team was immediately dispersed to clear the area. Interestingly, the drone cameras are playing the part of cops, as people begin to flee the moment they spot the cameras. Speaking to Express, Rachakonda IT Inspector Sridhar Reddy said, “We are thoroughly scanning the containment zones and the regions which were affected by Coronavirus.” The surveillance equipment contains drone cameras, thermal imaging payloads and sky speakers for public announcements