Delhi govt to get drones to keep an eye on its forests

Government officials said while the drone will not cost more than Rs 6 to 8 lakh, updating maps will be more expensive.

[related-post]

“Updating one map requires about Rs 18 to 20 lakh,” a senior official said. While the proposal is yet to be sent to the Finance department, officials say one drone will be enough to monitor the forest area in Delhi.

According to the Forest Survey of India’s report of 2013, the green cover, spread across 1,480 sq km, makes up for 20.08 per cent of Delhi’s geographical area.

“We will be monitoring forests to prevent encroachment on forest land. We will not need a 24-hour surveillance. We are still in talks with the National Remote-Sensing Centre in Hyderabad about the rates of drones, its frequency and other issues. We may first get one drone and test it for some time. If we need one more, it can be procured later,” the official told Newsline.

He added, “This is an ambitious project but we are committed to implementing it. However, since multiple agencies are involved, it will take at least another five to six months. The project will be achieved next fiscal.”

The government, in December 2014, had proposed drones to monitor encroachments and mapping various aspects of development. The Department of Forest and Wildlife had proposed the idea owing to manpower crunch.

According to officials, the drones that the department proposes to use can travel a distance of 40-50 km on auto pilot and can transmit real-time images and videos.