Pilgrims throng the Sangam area on the occasion of Makar Sankranti (Express/Renuka Puri)
THE UP Police have been applying advanced technology to ensure the safe and smooth movement of millions of pilgrims in Maha Kumbh Mela. One such method is surveillance through drones. The police has deployed 11 tethered drones and anti-drone, that is counter-drone, systems to enhance aerial surveillance and crowd management across the huge Mela ground.
Tethered drones, connected to ground stations via cables, provide uninterrupted power, enabling continuous monitoring for up to 12 hours at a stretch. These have the capacity to rise to 120 metres and cover a peripheral area of up to 3 km. Equipped with state-of-the-art thermal and IR cameras, they deliver real-time 4K footage with zoom capabilities (36x optical and 8x digital) for both day and night operations.
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These drones are the main source to provide images to capture the density in particular areas and assess the head count in Maha Kumbh Mela area, said a senior police officer supervising the system.
Thermal images of the Triveni Sangam area, transmitted by drones to the police. (Express)
In Maha Kumbh, four tethered drones each have been deployed by the Security Department and Traffic Directorate while three are being utilised by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for advanced threat detection.
How These Drones Are Ensuring Safety & Efficiency:
Crowd Management: Thermal imaging and live video feeds enable authorities to monitor crowd density and manage inflow and outflow at major entry points, including railway stations.
Traffic Regulation: Real-time surveillance helps implement traffic diversion plans and eas congestion in high-density areas.
Suspicious Activity Detection: High-resolution imaging aids in identifying security breaches and tracking suspicious individuals to prevent crimes like eve-teasing.
Emergency Response: Drones providing immediate data transmission to the ground control room, enabling swift decision-making during emergencies.
Manpower Deployment: Data from drones is used to optimise the deployment of police personnel and protect VIPs.
Besides, three anti-drone systems have been stationed at strategic locations to neutralize aerial threats. Two RF-based systems can detect rogue drones within an 8 km radius and jam their signals up to 2 km.
A radar-based system offers enhanced capabilities, detecting unauthorised drones up to 15 km away and neutralising them within 3 km.
So far, according to the DGP headquarters, nine unauthorised drones have been neutralised, including six on Makar Sankranti (14 January). One of these was attempting to enter a restricted Red Zone but was swiftly intercepted, underscoring the effectiveness of the anti-drone systems. SP Training and Security is camping in mela area and monitoring the operations of tethered drones.
DGP Prashant Kumar said tethered drones have ushered in a new era of security for UP Police. With their advanced surveillance, crowd management and threat neutralisation capabilities, these tethered drones and anti-drone systems have redefined security at Maha Kumbh.
