The district police used a mega drone for covering and monitoring sensitive routes and narrow lanes during the Vinayaka Chaturthi idol procession in Vellore on Friday.
Officials said that the unmanned vehicle, known as peregrine, could record footage up to three hours after which it needs to be recharged. It can cover a radius of 15 km from a range of 20 metre to 200 metre height, when compared to small drones that can cover only up to a radius of 2 km. Further, the mega drone could carry loads up to 3 kg such as lifeguard, loudspeakers, and sprayers, when compared to small drones that can carry weight up to 100 grams.
“We are using the mega drone only in Vellore town for the idol procession, taking the sensitivity of the neighbourhood into account,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police In-charge, Vellore range, M. Sathyapriya told The Hindu.
Accompanied by Vellore SP, S. Rajesh Kannan, Ms. Sathyapriya monitored the working of the mega drone on the narrow streets and key intersections, including the Collectorate roundabout. Sensitive routes such as Sathuvachari, Arcot Road, Saidapet, Long Bazaar, Mango mandi, Konnavatam and Shenbakkam were earmarked for the mega drone coverage. Loudspeakers were also attached with the drone to clear obstructions on the routes.
As the idol procession is being held after a COVID-19 pandemic-induced gap of two years, the police had roped in the Chennai-based UCAL Technologies, which operates the mega drone. Also, as the town has narrow streets with many overhead cables, the mega drone was able to negotiate these lanes and recorded footage with clarity. “Unlike small drones, the Peregrine can be operated from one km away. This helps in identifying trouble spots and obstructions on the routes more easily,” said R. Manivannan, deputy manager, UCAL Technologies.
