Hyderabad: Telangana State Aviation Academy signed an MoU with the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) for advanced training of drone pilots here. NRSC Director Prakash Chauhan and State Aviation Academy CEC SN Reddy signed the agreements in the presence of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and ISRO Chairman Somnath.
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy said that arrangements should be made for the construction of a drone port in the vicinity of Hyderabad. The officials were directed to search for the required 20 acres of land towards Pharma City. It is suggested to allocate this space in the no-objection zone as per aviation regulations.
The Chief Minister inquired how much space is required for the establishment of the drone port. He opined that this port will be useful for the training of pilots as well as drone manufacturing companies to conduct their trials.
The Chief Minister also ordered the officials to take appropriate measures for the renovation of Warangal Airport. The officials are suggested to look into the feasibility of constructing the damaged old runways and launching the commercial operations from there.
The officials have also been asked to resolve the other obstacles, if any. The CM also suggested to the officials to consult the airport authority to establish an airport in the surroundings of the Kothagudem and Bhadrachalam area which is considered as feasible to develop an airfield.
As part of the NRSC agreement, training on drone piloting, drone data management, data analysis, etc. will be provided. 15-day training courses on data analysis, data processing and mapping will be conducted for NRSC scientists and drone pilots undergoing training at the academy.
The officials explained to the CM that the use of drones has increased in all sectors, farmers are using drones to spray fertilizers and pesticides in the fields, and in some places, self-help groups have chosen these as a means of employment. Revanth Reddy suggested that training should be given to government officials from the highest level to the level of Tehsildars to create awareness on these issues.
Somnath appreciated the Chief Minister for providing training courses on drones innovatively by providing adequate assistance. The ISRO chief said that the NRSC, which is one of the primary centres of the ISRO and plays a key role in satellite, remote sensing and space technology, will provide training by using advanced drone technology.
Somanath even praised the Telangana Aviation Academy, which has received the best aviation award 12 times in the country, for extending quality services.
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