Villages, cities and even entire countries are locked down because of the Covid-19 pandemic, exposing big holes in local supply chains and in how governments access people across dense urban clusters and remote village areas. Incidentally, as it often happens in emergencies, it also uncovered our ingenuity in finding new and useful applications for available things and technologies. Like, how we use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), commonly called drones.

The Director General of Civil Aviation has finally announced its policy for remotely piloted aircraft or drones, which came into effect from December 1, 2018. The new policy defined what will be classified as remotely piloted aircraft, how they can be flown and the restrictions they will have to operate under.

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Usage of drones in times of COVID-19 pandemic:

• Pictures and news reports from the world over showed authorities putting drones to a variety of uses while tackling the pandemic.
• They were used for surveillance and monitoring during lockdowns, for broadcasting important messages, for tracking down violators of restrictions, for decontamination of hotspots, for delivery of medicines and some essential items.
• Right now, a Chennai-based company is using drones to disinfect areas specified by the Chhattisgarh government.
• The police in Spain and in some Indian states are using drones with attached sirens and loudspeakers to warn residents to stay home.
• China used drones for transporting medical equipment to contagious areas with minimal risk.

Extra information: Drone policy details:

Who can fly?

• The policy also stipulates that RPAs shall be flown only by someone over 18 years of age, having passed 10th exam in English, and undergone ground/ practical training as approved by DGCA.
• Under the new framework, civilian users seeking UIN/UAOP have to be Indian citizens.
• Companies seeking permits for commercial use must be registered in India, with two-thirds of the board members, including the chairman, being Indian nationals. Their primary place of business must be India and “substantial ownership” and this has not been defined must be resting with Indian nationals.
• The basic operating procedure will restrict drone flights to the daytime only and that too within Visual Line of Sight (VLOS).This applies to all categories.
• Also, along with other SOPs, the DGCA has clarified that no remote pilot can operate more than one RPA at any time.Manned aircraft will also get priority. There can’t be any human or animal payloads, or anything hazardous. It cannot in any manner cause danger to people or property. An insurance will be mandatory to cover third-party damage.

Where can drones not be flown?

• RPAs cannot be flown within 5km of the perimeters of the airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and within 3km from the perimeter of any other airport.
• It cannot fly within permanent or temporary Prohibited, Restricted and Danger Areas and within 25km from international border which includes the Line of Control (LoC), Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL).
• It cannot fly beyond 500 m into sea from the coast line and within 3 km from perimeter of military installations.
• It also cannot be operated from a mobile platform such as a moving vehicle, ship or aircraft.
• Eco-sensitive zones around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are off-limits without prior permission.
• Violations will be acted on under relevant sections of the IPC and the Aircraft Act 1934.

Need to align the drone policy in tune with changing times:

• There is a need to introduce a few changes for faster adoption of drone technology by government agencies providing emergency services.
• For instance, to deploy drones at present, government agencies like the fire department, police and NDMA need to take permission from the DGCA and AAI 24 hours in advance under the no permission no take-off (NPNT) regulation.
• If the emergency necessitates a faster response and cannot be predicted, these agencies should be exempt from NPNT.
• The security risk here is addressed because the agencies are mostly state bodies themselves or are at least aiding the government for public good.
• Hence misuse by rogue operators is out of question.

Way forward:

• Going forward, drones could be integrated into emergency response mechanisms called “cobotic responses”.
• These are responses in which humans cooperate with robots (effectively drones are robots).
• This could be the future, and even the new normal, and may even open up several possibilities.
• Imagine being able to go to the site of a nuclear accident like that in Fukushima with a drone capable of detection and resolution.
• India must also examine prevailing policy mechanisms in other countries to adopt their best practices as it formalises its regulatory framework. However, a point to be underlined is that guidelines alone are not sufficient so the key is ensuring implementation and compliance.
• Flying drones safely in India will require research and development to understand how they can be best used in India’s unique landscape.
• The government needs to create the right ecosystem for drone operations to add to the economy’s automation dividend.