Karnataka to use drones for better governance

Bengaluru, Aug 2 (IANS) Karnataka on Thursday launched a pilot project using drones for providing better governance, primarily in agriculture, urban development and police civic operations.

"As we are keen to use drone technology for better governance, we will soon have a policy to design and make them (drones) locally so that more can be used in implementing various programmes and schemes for the welfare of the people," said the state's Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister K.J. George on the occasion.

The state has provided a grant of Rs 2.5 crore for implementation of the pilot project.

A pilot drone project in agriculture will be taken up in Haveri district's Kosaba-Hobli village over a 200 square kilometre area to assess the crop health, yield estimation and crop types suitable.

Drone operations over the crop are to be carried out for three months in the ongoing Kharif season.

For testing the use of drones in urban development, a project will be taken up in Bantwal town in Dakshina Kannada district in October to prepare a detailed map for systematic and scientific town planning.

"Property tax estimation will also be carried in the town through the use of drones," an official statement said.

The drone project for police civic operations would be carried out in Bengaluru for three months through real-time crowd monitoring and surveillance, as well vehicular traffic surveillance in the city.