Mumbai: Faced with an unprecedented crisis, police forces in Sangli, Maharashtra and Guwahati, Assam in India have turned to drone technology to enforce lockdown throughout their respective cities and mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The drones have been supplied by ideaForge, India’s largest manufacturer of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones for defence, homeland security and industrial applications.
The drones have been deployed throughout various parts of Sangli and Guwahati for surveillance of public spaces. They provide real-time intelligence to the command & control centre, local patrol vans and ground forces. In case any anomalies are observed, the vans or ground forces are immediately dispatched to the incident sites and citizens are urged to follow lockdown orders and maintain social distancing. The drones also reduce response times which is particularly useful in times like these. They are also proving to be beneficial in preventing theft and unlawful activities.
Speaking to ideaForge on the condition of anonymity, a senior policeman from Sangli said, “These drones are helping us monitor public spaces and building terraces more effectively. We are also able to optimize resource deployment in areas which are not covered by CCTV cameras and those with narrow bylanes. Drones also help us in ensuring that their ample social distancing between the crowds queuing up in front of pharmacies and grocery stores.”
A SI from Assam Police also mentioned, “We are flying the drones twice in the morning and twice in the evening. We fly for a radius of 2 to 3 kms which covers most of the crowding hotspots. So, we are taking a lot less time and manpower to conduct surveillance operations, and of course not to mention that the drones are helping us ensure the safety of our personnel. Regular drone surveillance is also acting as a strong deterrent against irregular movement.”
ideaForge CEO, Ankit Mehta said, “As leaders in the security and surveillance segment, we have built our technology to deliver perfection in any situation. Our drones are force multipliers as they enable authorities to cover a larger area with the same manpower. We are committed to saving lives and are glad that our drones are empowering authorities to drive the message of social distancing. We appeal to the citizens to stay at home as it is the only measure that will enable us to triumph over the Covid-19 pandemic.”
