Sanjay Verma
Drones are also proving to be helpful in increasing the speed of good governance and government work. On the strength of these, a big dream is being seen that soon India can become the axis of production and use of drones. This will also benefit the employment sector of the country, just like when computers came in the country in the eighties-nineties, these machines not only became an essential part of our system and life, but the entire employment scenario changed.
In the case of science and technology, it has often been said that if it is a blessing, then some curse is also associated with it. From dynamite, nuclear power to the invention of the Internet, this has been proved true. Here, ever since the arms race with the help of artificial intelligence (IE) started in the world, the danger has increased more. This competition of technology is not only between the armies of the countries, but its effect is beginning to be seen in civilian life. Technology becoming cheaper day by day is making it possible that it reaches the hands of common people. But the danger is that it may not fall into the hands of terrorists and criminals. Such is the case with drone technology.
However, so far only positive aspects of the use of drones have come to the fore in most of the contexts. For example, drones are being used in tasks like monitoring a place, locating development related activities, preparing maps and catching criminals. The work of monitoring drones in problematic areas has become a part of the working style of police in many countries. But the importance of drones could be more than that. Indeed, the rapid increase in the use of drone technology for surveillance work is more important.
For example, a digital map of every property of the villages of the country is being prepared under the PM Swamitva Yojana. Digital asset cards are being given to the people on the basis of the information gathered from this. That is, drones are also proving helpful in increasing the speed of good governance and government works. On the strength of these, a big dream is being seen that soon India can become the axis of production and use of drones. This will also benefit the employment sector of the country, just like when computers came in the country in the eighties-nineties, these machines not only became an essential part of our system and life, but the entire employment scenario changed.
If you want to list the use of drones in various fields, there are many jobs where drones are already being used. Surveillance for police and military, warehouse tracking, land encroachment detection and survey information gathering, deep tunnels or high towers to inspect conditions, video or film shooting, etc. There are different types of drones available.
The use of drones was first started in 2013 by the security officials of Kaziranga National Park to keep an eye on poachers in wildlife sanctuaries. The example of how drones can prove useful in saving agriculture was first seen in France. It is said that a wine maker in the French city of Bordeaux used a camera-mounted drone to protect grapes from infections. These drones take very close pictures of grape vines during their flight. This shows whether the crops have started rotting.
If we talk about live broadcast of sports, then in 2012 Rupert Murdoch’s company Fox Sports Australia used a camera drone for the first time to broadcast a cricket match. This was also used in a rugby match in the year 2013. This type of use of these aerial machines also made it possible for people to watch their favorite sport from the angle they were so far deprived of.
Not only this, eight years ago, petroleum company BP used a drone in Alaska to find out if there was any defect in pipelines spread in remote deserted areas. Due to severe cold and strong winds, continuous monitoring of pipelines cannot be done. Drones come in handy in these situations. Drones are also used well in natural disasters. After the devastating floods in Uttarakhand in 2013, people trapped in mountains, forests and deserted places were searched with the help of drones. Drones are capable of going even in areas where helicopters cannot reach.
But apart from all these examples, some dangers have also emerged regarding the use of drones. The danger is greater with drone technology falling into terrorist hands and their use by enemy countries. On June 27 last year, a drone strike on the Air Force station in Jammu dispelled the notion that our military installations were completely safe from skirmishes. The terrorists had proved the costly measures of the army by dropping explosives from very low-cost lightweight drones that did not require high-cost arrangements to break into the system. If terrorists are able to use drones, then it is no less than having a nuclear bomb in their hands.
It is certainly the result of the caution being taken by the army that terrorists now think a hundred times before coming forward and committing any incident at any place. It is not as easy for terrorists to break into the security of any public place or government or military establishment of national importance. In doing so, they have to take great risks and there is also the danger of being killed. But drones have now given them the arms and legs with which they can break into security and launch attacks without taking much risk.
In today’s situation, no place can be considered outside the scope of terrorists. In drone attacks, terrorists do not have the fear of being killed or caught. Then this solution is also less expensive. It is also a bit difficult to uncover the involvement of terrorist organizations from across the border in these attacks. Since drones fly at a very low altitude, they do not come under radar. In such a situation, the assessment of experts is not unfounded that the number of drone attacks may increase in the future.
As far as combating the drones sent by the terrorists is concerned, the Indian Army is importing some small size Israeli drones (Smash-200 Plus). These can be mounted on guns or rifles. With these, attacking small drones can be easily targeted. At present, our country is not fully capable of dealing with such threats. But taking lessons from these incidents, if very strict arrangements are made and terrorist designs are put down, even then it will be a matter of relief. Surely this work will be accomplished by promoting drone technology at the policy level and with the serious efforts of the government machinery. But for this it is necessary that the matter should be taken beyond the drone festivals and the plans should be implemented with speed.