NDMA mulls using drones for disaster management

New Delhi, Nov 7 : The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday held a day-long national brain storming session on application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in disaster management, including using it for identifying disaster-affected areas.

"UAVs can be effectively used in different phases of disaster management - they can help us identify areas affected by disasters. They can also aid disaster response," said D.N. Sharma, Member, NDMA, during the session.

Underlining the importance of UAV technology for disaster management, he called for all stakeholders to strive to leverage existing technologies for quick and efficient disaster response. 

Sharma expressed hope that stakeholders would be encouraged to collaboratively work towards research and development of UAV technology for Disaster Risk Reduction.

According to the NDMA, in a post-disaster situation, UAVs can be used to map the affected areas in high resolution within a short time, which, in turn, can aid swift and efficient response 

"UAVs can provide high-resolution, real-time images of even the inaccessible locations. These images can then be used to produce accurate hazard maps so that prevention and mitigation measures for reducing disaster risks are planned accordingly," said a statement from the NDMA.

The event saw participation of members from Delhi Technological University and Anna University, and organisations such as Defence Research and Development Organisation and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited among others.