Aerial surveillance of Mysore city is expected to go up a notch during Dasara celebrations this year. The police are planning to deploy a helicopter to keep vigil on the crowds on Vijayadashami, the last day of the 10-day festivities.
“For the first time, we will deploy a helicopter for surveillance of the city during Dasara,” Police Commissioner M.A. Saleem told The Hindu .
The chopper will be used in addition to a drone, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that was introduced for surveillance of the Jamboo Savari route on the last day of the festivities.
“While the drone’s surveillance will be restricted to the 5-km procession route, the helicopter will keep a vigil across the expanse of the city,” he said.
Last year’s countA large number of people are expected to gather in the city on October 4, the day on which the festivities conclude with the Jamboo Savari procession and the Torchlight Parade. “Last year, around 8 lakh visitors were in the city,” he said.
The deployment of a chopper will facilitate a quick response to any situation.
“There may be mischief mongers here and there. It will help us respond to quickly,” he said. With the city likely to witness a huge influx of vehicles, the presence of a chopper will also help monitor the traffic situation and prevent snarls.
The personnel in the chopper, who will be equipped with binoculars and communication equipment, will co-ordinate with the ground staff and patrol teams.
The city police was roping in a private partner to sponsor the helicopter surveillance, Mr. Saleem added.
Last year, the authorities introduced the drone to keep vigil along the Dasara procession, which comprised a host of tableaux and 12 caparisoned elephants, including the ‘ambari aane’ carrying the 750-kg golden howdah.
The drone, equipped with a high-resolution camera, kept tabs on the area and beamed live images to a technical team, including the police which monitored the footage.
The city police had also installed CCTVs at vantage points across the city and places of tourist interest. The footage would be regularly monitored, Mr. Saleem said.
