The strictures imposed by the police on flying of drones do not seem to have had much of a deterring effect on enthusiasts, who continue to pursue their hobby in the city and suburbs.
In 2015, the police banned the flying of drones after a 29-year-old resident of Foreshore Estate was arrested. The drone he was operating was fitted with cameras and had fallen on the roof of a service apartment in MRC Nagar.
The police said that the Director General of Civil Aviation was in the process of framing guidelines for the use of drones / unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by civilians. The aviation regulator was to issue operator permits and unique identification numbers to drones to enable air traffic controllers (ATCs) to track and identify any device in the sky at a height of 200 ft or more. But those operating drones would still require police permission, the police mandated.
Despite these restrictions, only a few days ago, four young men were rounded up by the police after they flew drones fitted with cameras over the Cooum and Chintadripet without police authorisation. They were let off with a warning after they told police officers that the drone was being used for a project as part of their academics.
Meanwhile, drones have become increasingly popular in Chennai. The devices are frequently used for video coverage of marriages and in temple festivals. In the weddings, drones are deployed by videographers for capturing visuals of guests arriving and then to pan the camera to other points such as the wedding hall and dais.
Drones fitted with cameras are also being widely used by television channels to cover large gatherings and other political events. One channel flew a drone over the Golden Bay resort at Koovathur, where the AIADMK MLAs were staying for over 10 days during the recent political crisis.
Recently, a person who was operating a drone at a wedding hall was not able to control the device and it fell into the campus of a private institution.
Security risk
A senior police officer attached to the intelligence wing said, “Drones fitted with cameras are a security risk. They can fly over sensitive areas, film the campus and facilities and may be misused by anti-social elements,” he said.
Unmanned aerial devices have caused several security scares in sensitive areas. On December 6, 2016, the police were in for a shock during the funeral of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa when a drone fitted with a camera was found flying over the congregation of VIPs including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
“One has to get a licence from DGCA for flying a drone. A no-objection certificate should also be obtained from the city police. When we come across persons who fly drones without our clearance, we will arrest them and remand them in judicial custody,” a senior officer said.
The police have filed cases against those who violate such bans under Sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 336 (endangering the life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.
Since drones are easily available online, many affluent families often purchase them for their children without bothering to obtain the relevant permission from the authorities, he added.
