The Central Railway (CR) has announced that it will be using drones for aerial surveillance and overall maintenance of security. This is a first for CR and the authorities have mentioned that they have instituted two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to inspect station premises as well as railway yards, workshops and sections of CR’s railway tracks.
In addition to surveillance of CR’s properties, these drones will also be instrumental in monitoring the crowd numbers in platforms as well as foot overbridges (FoB), particularly during festivals. Furthermore, these drones will help the authorities to keep a check on illegal activities like gambling, littering on Central Railway premises as well as hawkers selling small goods and items on the platforms and FoBs.
Also Read - BMC To Use Drones For Surveillance Of Slums In Kandivli
Previously, Central Railway authorities have used drones to monitor its tracks in the Western Ghats area as the region is mostly inaccessible via roads due to dense forest areas. The expansion of the drone program to monitor surveillance in the metropolitan regions will surely prove to be beneficial.
Incidents like theft are rampant on railway platforms, and drones can go a long way in curbing these instances and nabbing thieves in a timely manner. Recently, Central Railway’s drones at Wadibunder and Kalamboli railway yards apprehended two thieves during a routine drone test.
Central Railway mentioned that a team of four Railway Protection Force or RPF officers from the agency’s Cyber Modernization Cell have been trained to fly these drones within CR’s stations and yards in the city.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the improvised use of drones as we’ve seen authorities using drones to disinfect entire areas to reduce the spread of the disease.
Also read - Western Railways Disinfects Lower Parel Factory With Drones
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