Centre approves 'drone usage' by NISER Bhubaneswar for aerial surveys of protected sites

On Saturday, the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) in Bhubaneswar has been granted authorisation to operate drones by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). According to an official release from the Ministry, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) along with the MoCA have granted declarative exemption from the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021.  

The exemption permits the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct aerial surveys and photogrammetry of centrally protected sites in conjunction with drones. 

The NISER has been authorised by the Centre for the usage of drones at the locations of Raja-Rani Temple in Bhubaneswar and Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar.

This exemption is effective for one year from the date of approval or until additional orders are issued, in a way whichever will come first, and in accordance with the terms and circumstances of the DGCA's standard operating procedures. 

Drone usage approval was also given to Haryana's Directorate of Urban Local Bodies (DULB) earlier this month for data gathering, mapping, and the deployment of a web-based GIS platform for the development of AMRUT cities and property tax surveys in Hisar, Panchkula, and Ambala. 

Previously, on July 16, in the military sites of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, at least four drones were observed flying above.  

The attack on the Jammu air force station on June 27 was the first time suspected when Pakistan-based terrorists used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack critical installations in India. This serious issue is now being investigated by the National Investigation Agency. 

The frequency of drone sightings has increased dramatically since the Jammu attack, and there have been many occasions where Army and Border Security Forces (BSF) soldiers have shot at the drones near the border area. 

Things that happened on June 27 

According to the sources, on the midnight between June 26 and 27, two explosions rattled the high-security technical section of Air Force Station Jammu. After the incident, two Indian Air Force soldiers were injured, yet they survived. 

It all started when low-flying drones were utilised to drop the two improvised explosive devices (IED), according to an early evaluation report done by the security establishment. Helicopters that were stationed nearby were their most probable targets. According to the Indian Air Force, no equipment was destroyed. 

Drone Deployed by another state

A few days back, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police Department in West Bengal started using drones with 48-megapixel cameras that can record video for aerial surveys. They are deploying those drones for overhead surveillance to keep an eye on the state's lawful decorum.

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