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In a first, Kanpur police fly drones in night to ensure social distancing
Police are particularly are hard pressed in keeping the people indoors in the most of 17 Covid-19 hotspots.
The Kanpur police have added a new weapon to their armory —unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with high end night vision capabilities — to carry out surveillance in corona hotspots during the night.
The two new drones have been borrowed from a company which works in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, (IIT-K).
While police are using drones in some other cities as well, they can be sent up in air only during the day.
“The one we have got are equally good in night and can also be used for thermal screening,” said Mohit Agarwal, inspector general (IG), Kanpur range.
He said the drones were being operated by the specialists of TOL Aviations, the company which has lent the high quality drones.
“They are training our men in handling the drone’s night operations,” he said, adding they give the high resolution bird’s eye view of build-ups in congested places and roof tops in the night.
Police are particularly are hard pressed in keeping the people indoors in the most of 17 Covid-19 hotspots.
“People defying lockdown in the narrow alleys would be identified through the pictures and cases would be registered against them,” he said.
Ansar H Lone, head, research and development, TOL Aviations, said the Kanpur police had been given small drones Arav NX, which weighs five kilos and could cover a distance of five km and has night surveillance system on board.
“They are fully autonomous and have fixed wings. It has the facility of vertical take-off and landing and has the facility of day and night watch,” he added.
“The UAV has been given to the district administration on the request of IIT-K director Abhay Karandikar and former deputy director Manindra Agarwal on humanitarian grounds in emergent situation. Team members of the company were deputed to operate the drone,” he said.
The company was founded in 2017 in collaboration with the IIT-K.
