From locust watch to mapping, drone use takes off. Ease the limits and it will soar, says industry.

From locust watch to mapping, drone use takes off. Ease the limits and it will soar, says industry.
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Delhi Police personnel using a drone to keep an eye over hotspot areas in Jahangirpuri, on May 1, 2020 in New Delhi, India.

Synopsis

In the single-largest programme of its kind, 300 drones will map 100,000 villages this year. But that’s only a start. If regulations allow, their commercial use, the drone industry can be 100 times larger than any of the government projects, experts say.

The government has turned into one of the largest procurers of drones and drone services in flagship projects, even as commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) awaits regulatory clearances. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved drone use by government agencies for Covid-19 outbreak-related measures as well as to combat locust swarms in the border states. In quick succession, it has also approved drone use to map
( Originally published on Jun 16, 2020 )

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