BMC Flying Drone To Curb Mosquito Menace In Odisha Capital Without Permission!

Bhubaneswar: Use of drones by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to curb mosquito menace in Odisha capital seems to have sparked a row with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) reportedly issuing notice to the civic body for not obtaining permission to fly the device.

According to reports, the BMC has deployed drones for survey of mosquito infested areas and spray of chemicals without obtaining necessary permission from the AAI.

It is essential to obtain permission from the AAI and DGCA for using drones of different categories for various purposes, they said, adding that there are broadly five categories of drones starting from micro and small to medium and large varieties.

There are specific guidelines for flying drones of different categories and the height at which these devices are to be flown. The height at which a particular drone is to be flown is decided on the basis of its size. Permission from the aviation authorities to fly drones is essential in view of safety and security of flight operations, they said.

However, the BMC allegedly launched drone operations as part of its anti-mosquito drive without obtaining requisite permission and the AAI is stated to have issued a show cause notice to the civic body.

The civic body has also failed to take permission from the commissionerate police for the purpose.

Senior BMC officials were not immediately available for comment.

Stepping up its drive to curb the mosquito menace plaguing Odisha capital, the BMC two days ago launched chemical spray in the city by using drone.