12 Kolkata: Kolkata Police will now deploy drones on anti-pollution mission, to monitor encroachments on the East Kolkata Wetlands and burning of biomass, garbage as well as plastic.
Tenders have been floated for two drones, costing Rs 11 lakh.
Kolkata Police started using drones since 2013 but it has been since 2018 that the force has been using the device more intensely. Police have been on the lookout for devices that can work beyond traditional law-and-order duties and crime-tracking. Each weighing up to 700 gm, these special-purpose drones can cover 3 km and can be operated continuously for three hours. Their maximum speed is expected to be 72 km per hour or more. The close-range devices will be able to achieve a similar launch altitude as that of short-range ones. They have to endure wind speeds up to 6 knots and have Autonomous Vertical Take-Off and Landing capability.
To keep Kolkata's air pollution in check, police's Rs 31-crore equipment list includes two remote-sensing devices, each worth Rs 3 crore, 400 licence reader cameras that use artificial intelligence to identify public transport vehicles older than 15 years on the road and four drones to keep an eye on garbage-burning. "We have found that a spurt in private vehicles on the road and resultant slow movement of vehicles, in addition to old vehicles, continuing to ply on roads and burning of garbage, are contributing to pollution. Technology can help tackle these issues. The drones are a step in that direction," said an officer.
In 2013, Kolkata Police deployed drones to monitor crowds during Durga Puja. ever since, the force has been using the device for various reasons, including during fires in high-rises and tracking suspicious vehicles at night.
"Deploying drones beyond law and order or to prevent a crime or beyond a crisis has not happened so far. If that happens, it will certainly be a new step for Kolkata Police," said a joint commissioner.
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