Aerial watch gives fillip to security at Mahakumbh

Advanced tethered drones enhance safety at Mahakumbh 2025, enabling real-time surveillance and efficient crowd management, ensuring secure pilgrim movement.

Advanced technology is playing a crucial role in ensuring safety and smooth movement of millions of pilgrims who have gathered here from across the globe for Mahakumbh 2025.

With the ability to rise to 120 metres and cover a peripheral area of up to 3 km, tethered drones are revolutionising surveillance at the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. (Sourced)

Uttar Pradesh Police have deployed 11 tethered drones and anti-drone systems to enhance aerial surveillance and crowd management across the expansive mela grounds.

Role of tethered drones

Tethered drones, connected to ground stations via cables, provide uninterrupted power, enabling continuous monitoring for up to 12 hours at a stretch. With the ability to rise to 120 metres and cover a peripheral area of up to 3 km, these drones are revolutionising surveillance.

Equipped with state-of-the-art thermal and infrared (IR) cameras, they deliver real-time 4K footage with impressive zoom capabilities (36x optical and 8x digital) for both day and night operations.

Four such drones are operated by the traffic directorate to manage vehicular flow. Three drones are utilised by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for advanced threat detection.

How drones ensure 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 eases congestion in high-density areas.

Suspicious activity detection : High-resolution imaging aids in identifying security breaches and tracking suspicious individuals. Emergency response: Drones provide immediate data transmission to the ground control room, enabling swift decision-making during emergencies.

Manpower deployment : Data from drones is used to optimise deployment of police personnel and protect VIPs.The innovative deployment of tethered drones has not only enhanced crowd regulation but also ensured round-the-clock vigilance over critical zones.

Neutralising aerial threats with anti-drone systems

In addition to surveillance, three anti-drone systems have been stationed at strategic locations to neutralise 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, nine unauthorised drones have been neutralised, including six on Makar Sankranti. One of these was attempting to enter a restricted red zone but was swiftly intercepted, underscoring the effectiveness of the anti-drone systems.

The SP (training and security) is camping in mela area and monitoring the operations of tethered drones under the close supervision of ADG (security) Raghubir Lal. Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP), Prashant Kumar, said the 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 Mahakumbh 2025. As millions of devotees gather to seek spiritual solace, the Uttar Pradesh Police are ensuring that their journey remains safe, seamless, and secure with cutting-edge technology leading the way.