Haryana govt. to leverage drone technology to revolutionize agri and disaster management

                                                                                                                                                 Professor R. S. Sengar

Several key decisions were taken for expanded use of drone technology across sectors in Haryana at the 9th Board Meeting of Drone Imaging and Information Services of Haryana Limited (DRIISHYA) held here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

On the occasion, the chief minister directed deployment of drones in a pilot project aimed at monitoring crop health and detecting diseases. He stated that this initiative would provide farmers with timely information to help prevent crop losses.

He suggested that the pilot phase should include crops particularly prone to diseases such as potatoes,

chickpeas, cotton, paddy, and various vegetables. This initiative, he said, would boost agricultural productivity and minimize crop damage.

In a move to empower women, the chief minister disclosed that under the "Drone Didi Yojana", the state aims to train 5,000 women in drone technology. He instructed DRIISHYA officials to prepare an action plan to train around 500 women in the upcoming quarter. This initiative seeks to promote technical skills among women and create self-employment opportunities.

He emphasized the use of drone technology to pro mote natural farming, particularly for spraying Jee vamrit, a natural liquid     fertilizer. He stressed that farmers should be trained in this technique to encourage environmentally sustainable and modern agricultural practices.

DRIISHYA CEO Phool Kumar apprised the chief minister about the agency's ongoing activities, which include HT power line inspections, large-scale map-ping, disaster management, traffic monitoring, illegal mining surveillance, and crop health assessment.

Under the large-scale mapping initiative, over 6,100 square kilometres have been surveyed. Additionally, 680 kilometres of 21 HT power lines have been inspected, resulting in the timely detection and cor-rection of several technical faults. To date, 135 farmers have been trained under the ongoing farmer training program.

It was also reported that around 243 candidates have received UAV flight training at the Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) in Karnal. Besides the Revenue Department, drones are being utilized in departments such as Urban Local Bodies, Power, Disaster Management, Mining, Forests, Traffic, Town & Country Planning, and Agriculture.

Looking ahead, officers informed the state chief minister that DRIISHYA plans to expand drone applications in areas such as illegal mining detection, disaster response, traffic surveillance, and identification of unauthorized constructions, in alignment with the evolving needs of various departments.

Writer: Professor R. S. Sengar, Director Training and Placement, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut.