The Indian metropolis of Chennai is dwelling to the country’s first drone police unit which became once situation up at the imprint of ₹3.6cr or approx $450K and became once inaugurated in June 2023. The southern Indian metropolis which faced wrath of floods this week also properties a authorities-bustle Unmanned Aerial Automobile Company, and several drone companies. Subsequently, one would request drones to be portion of authorities’s danger management and response strategy.
But it surely seems to be to be a case of too minute and too slow, because the Tamil Nadu Authorities formally announced utilizing drones perfect on the fifth day (Friday, December 8) of the response and relief operations. Ahead of Friday, there had been no reports of drones being operated for this purpose.
From monitoring the flood grief, mapping metropolis’s inclined areas, making emergency announcements and per chance delivering relief affords, the scope for utilization of drones remains never-ending.
trending now
The Tamil Nadu Authorities and its departments savor entry to extremely capable and pricey drones. Quite loads of of them are geared up for day and night operations, and could per chance per chance lift payloads (drop life vests to rescue these marooned at sea), up to a distance of 10km, lift out mapping, construct announcements and spray chemical substances.
Unlike the battery-powered drones that are reckoning on availability of energy for charging (which could per chance per chance be scarce throughout a danger), the departments under the authorities operate drones that are powered by petrol.
In the previous, variants of these drones had been deployed for duties in other parts of the country for going via instances such as combating locusts by spraying chemical substances, moreover mapping the mountainous smash area of the helicopter animated the country’s prime defence legit in December 2021.
Interestingly, throughout the Covid pandemic, the Tamil Nadu authorities had efficiently demonstrated utilizing drones for spraying disinfectants. On a quantity of cases, drones had been frail for monitoring abundant gatherings and for connected legislation enforcement applications.
Particularly, when it came to responding to the danger in Chennai metropolis, the drones belonging to the authorities authorities remained missing in action, and not utilizing a level out of use prior to 8th December, Friday.
After the Michaung cyclone hit Chennai there became once no rain within the metropolis since Tuesday, December 5 and weather prerequisites savor remained favourable for drone operations. Interestingly, several media organisations had shared drone visuals showcasing the extent of hurt and flooding actual via parts of Chennai.
Taking to X, previously Twitter, Dr. TRB Rajaa, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Industries, on Friday wrote, “Drones had been pressed into action to win predominant incidental knowledge which will seemingly be frail to sort out pending points, support in smooth up work and extra importantly to use at some point to mitigate repetition of uncover points”
Per the Minister, it’s on Friday (8th December) that the drones belonging to Tamil Nadu Unmanned Aerial Automobile Company, had been deployed in Chennai.
As on Friday, many arterial and central parts of Chennai metropolis savor returned to long-established, while some residential areas live severely waterlogged. It is unclear whether or not the details peaceable at the moment would give an correct describe of the extent flooding (unparalleled of which has receded) that affected the metropolis.
Moreover to the authorities-bustle drone corporation, there are several drone companies in Chennai.
There are also drone groups and startups connected with IIT Madras and leading engineering colleges, that savor confirmed their mettle at a quantity of danger response operations and competitions actual via India.
“Neatly prior to the cyclone and its aftermath, we had proactively made affords to the Tamil Nadu Authorities to feature our drones and toughen the efforts. Alternatively, we did not win the needed Authorities clearance for the same, despite loads of requests offering our toughen” a consultant from the drone industry informed WION.
Since Monday (December 4), relief and rescue operations are being done in Chennai and adjoining districts. The Indian Military, Air Force, Navy, Plug Guard, National Catastrophe Response Force (NDRF) deployed their groups to render support to the Authorities of Tamil Nadu.
As portion of this, the ground groups of the Military, Navy, Plug Guard and NDRF done evacuation by method of boats and delivered predominant affords at properties. The Indian Air Force and Plug Guard tasked their helicopters to construct loads of sorties to drop relief affords (dry food and water) on the rooftops of properties in inaccessible areas.
Had the available fleets of drones been deployed early on, it will even savor equipped a quantity of lessons and insights on the advantages and downsides of utilizing such platforms for supporting the final danger response efforts of the Authorities.
With the Chennai airport also having had to end down arrivals and departures for nearly 24hours (between 4th and fifth December) owing to flooding, the determined airspace had also equipped a favourable and safer opportunity for drone operations.
Per the authorities, extra than 16,000 folks had been evacuated and taken to relief camps and practically 6 million food packets had been disbursed.
