Three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) pressed into service during the Ardh Kumbh Mela have immensely helped Uttarakhand police in crowd management, traffic management on the highways and traffic regulation on the normally congested areas aside from parking management during the inaugural snans on the occasion of Makar Sankranti in Haidwar on Thursday and Friday when over 14 lakh people thronged the holy city to take dip in Ganga.
All the three UAVs which were directed from the control room remained operational throughout the two days (till the evening of Friday) in Ardh Kumbh area, said IG (Ardh Kumbh) GS Martolia while talking to The Pioneer.
A team comprising engineers and technicians from the company had operated the drones. As the control room received clear photographs through drones the officers deputed at control room disseminated the information thus received to others engaged in manning traffic and the like in the densely crowded areas under the demarcated Ardh Kumbh areas. The network assisted police to man things better and to keep order during the congregation.
With the help of drone footages, a group of pilgrims witnessed returning from ghats without taking dip were directed by the traffic police (who were informed the same from the control room) to follow the right routes to reach the ghat. “They might have returned without taking the dip-the purpose for which they came- had they not been instructed by the police to follow the right direction. Besides, as we received footages from the drones revealing traffic snarls in certain stretches on the highways traffic police were deployed to restore order and manage the crowd,” Martolia added.
He further said that inspired by the successful operation of the three drones during the maiden key snans, they would press them into service again on the rest of the major snan days.
As drones can be put on service for around 40 minutes at a stretch they had put the three into service one after another, he said.
IG said, “We procured three UAVs on rent through tender process for 40 days during Ardh Kumbh Mela. Drones were taken for four days during the major snans- two days before and one day after. Rs 10 lakh would be spent for taking three UAVs on rent.”
Martolia said, “As Haridwar shares its border with sensitive districts of Uttar Pradesh — Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar-we have gone extra mile to strengthen security by procuring three drones equipped with night vision and battery back-ups of around 40 minutes. If we exclude the landing and take- off time each operates for about 20 minutes.”