Drones to deliver emergency medicine in Nandurbar from end of this month

The Narmada river to the north and the Tapi to the south often isolate villages during monsoon floods. For its nearly 17 lakh largely tribal residents, accessing healthcare means hours of trekking across rocky slopes, dirt tracks and swollen streams. In emergencies, patients are frequently carried in makeshift bamboo stretchers to the nearest motorable road.

District officials say the drone mission is aimed at bridging this gap.

District Health Officer Dr Ravindra Sonawane said preparations are complete to deploy drones for medical supply delivery in the tribal talukas of Dhadgaon and Akkalkuwa. “Emergency medicines and vaccine stock will be supplied through drones. Five healthcare staff members have been given specialised drone pilot training,” he said.

In July 2025, engineers from IIT Bombay conducted trial runs in the district. One such trial between Primary Health Centre Bilgaon and Sawarya Digar village, separated by Narmada backwaters, demonstrated the potential. Though only 3.5 km apart, the road distance stretches to 15 km and becomes impossible during floods. The drone covered the aerial distance in minutes, carrying routine medicines.

District Collector Dr Mittali Sethi, who spearheaded the initiative locally, said the trials were designed to test drone viability in difficult terrain. “We wanted to see if drones could work across rivers and hillocks where even boat ambulances struggle. After successful trials, we trained our own staff. With two small drones received, we expect full operations to begin by the end of February,” she said.

Five health workers underwent Directorate General of Civil Aviation approved training in Dhule before advanced sessions at IIT Bombay in January 2026. The drones currently deployed are small category unmanned aerial vehicles capable of carrying up to two kilograms, with plans to scale up payload capacity to 15 kg. Designed for hilly terrain and monsoon conditions, they can execute controlled parachute drops without requiring landing infrastructure.

Supplies to be delivered include routine immunisation vaccines, anti-snake venom, anti-rabies injections, blood products for maternal emergencies and trauma, tuberculosis and malaria medicines, and iron and folic acid supplements. Officials say these deliveries could significantly reduce delays during monsoons when road connectivity is severed.

While Nandurbar has moved to operational status, progress in other districts has been uneven. Officials in Gadchiroli confirmed that a trial was conducted but did not succeed due to poor mobile network coverage, which limits real-time monitoring and route adjustments during flights. Authorities in Palghar and other districts said the project is yet to be rolled out locally.

A senior official from the state Higher and Technical Education Department said there was no delay in implementation. “It is a five-year project. We are proceeding step by step because this is new technology. Health is the priority, so we began with that. Other districts will also receive the service as challenges are resolved,” the official said.