ITDA Dehradun to impart training on drones to police officers to tackle potential threats

Speaking about the significance of this initiative, Uttarakhand ITDA Director Amit Sinha said, "The speed with which drones are being used at present, it has become very important to control the illegally operated drones. It is also important to secure the data as fast as possible while tackling certain security problems we may face as a nation and reach it to its respective operators."

Dehradun: The Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA) Institute here has taken up an initiative to train the local police officials in drone technology to enhance their competency in dealing with terrorist activities in the future. So far, the first batch comprising of UP Anti-Terrorism Squad has availed 'special technical training related to drones'. Under this training, the officials have reportedly been trained in dealing with potential threats from drones as well as certain techniques like collecting data with the help of servicing drones.

Speaking about the significance of this initiative, Uttarakhand ITDA Director Amit Sinha said, "The speed with which drones are being used at present, it has become very important to control the illegally operated drones. It is also important to secure the data as fast as possible while tackling certain security problems we may face as a nation and reach it to its respective operators. The drones will also make it easier to monitor Law and Order in a better and more effective way."

He further said that in today's age, CCTV cameras are a preliminary tool for the police officials to dive into any investigation and if this is coupled with expertise over drones, the competency of the officers will be unmatched. "This is the reason why it is important to have knowledge of drone technology, service license, and other related technologies for the police and related agencies. It can help us sense and avoid several dangerous incidents in advance since drones have also become an active tool for the perpetrators and terrorists to execute their crimes," he added.

Emphasizing the difference that hi-tech policing can bring about, Sinha further said, "We are going to start with the basics, like according to the rules of the Central Government, there are three zones under which the drones can be operated - Red, Yellow, and Green zones. Other than the airports, a radius of 5 km around important institutions like certain defense institutes is considered under the red zone.

A radius of 5 to 8 km around these institutions comes under the yellow zone, while the area after 8 km is considered under the green zone. However, even in the green zone, there is a rule to fly drones only up to a maximum height of 4 meters. The rules also make it mandatory for the concerned institutions to register and take a certificate to fly a drone. If the officers are well aware of things like these, it'd be much easier to spot problems," he explained, adding that the state governments are also planning to design a drone policy to have better rules in place.