Last Update: January 14, 2023, 13:38 IST
A service provider will maintain an inventory of 1,000 drones at each allotted location with drone pilots and maintenance crew. (Shutterstock image for representation)
Learning from the locust attack in 2020, Rajasthan’s agriculture department is getting a private party to deploy, operate and maintain 1,000 drones for the next five years to map and monitor crops, provide irrigation to analyze and develop patterns.
The desert locust, a devastating migratory pest, destroyed crops spread over five lakh hectares of land in Rajasthan in 2020. This is a major pain-point among farmers. Now in the election year, the Ashok Gehlot government will spend Rs 250 crore to deploy 1,000 drones to keep an eye in the skies to monitor crops.
The Agriculture Department of Rajasthan is getting a private party to deploy, operate and maintain these drones for the next five years and thereafter hand them over to the government. The drones will also help in mapping and monitoring crops, such as irrigation, analyzing growth patterns and yields, as well as assisting the government in crop health monitoring and providing crop production estimates. This will help in better resource utilization.
A state government document reviewed by News18 states that drones will help in “locust and hopper control” and also assist in crop failure survey for insurance purposes. The Agriculture Department will use the footage to determine the spraying of pesticides or nutrients and to inspect crops for potential disease and threats to enable early detection and reporting to the government. The drones will also help in determining the need for seeding in the fields.
Drone will help in remote areas
The state government is moving to leverage this unique technology to increase transparency and accountability and in turn improve governance, reach out to citizens, and drive the transformation of their state through greater agility, accountability, and transparency. As stated in the document reviewed by News18.
“Drones are an important generator of employment and economic development, especially in remote and inaccessible areas of the state due to their accessibility, versatility and ease of use.”
The document further states that technology has disrupted every aspect of how people work, live their lives and connect with others today. “Governments are also increasingly relying on technological innovation to drive change and improve governance. One such technological innovation is the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), often referred to as “drones”, which is set to play a bigger role in the government space.
It added that many governments across the world have now started using drones for tasks that previously required the physical presence of many people. “It is rapidly gaining attention. Many industries are using drones for a myriad of tasks – from surveillance to monitoring projects, from detection to prevention, and from improving existing methods/processes to meeting new requirements. Until changed and handled innovatively,” the document says.
A service provider will maintain an inventory of 1,000 drones at each allotted location with drone pilots and maintenance crew.
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