Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size

Corporation to survey city using drones

Print PDF

The Hindu      16.06.2017  

Corporation to survey city using drones

Plans to get Home Ministry approval

The Chennai Corporation is planning to get security clearance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to conduct a survey of the city using drones.

The civic body is expected to get accurate information of its assets, civic utilities and property using the survey.

Once the survey is conducted successfully, it will assess the loss of assets.

A number of properties belonging to the civic body have been encroached upon by unidentified persons.

The survey is expected to expose such land grabbings. For example, the survey by drones will throw light on the existing area of a park as against the original area mentioned in the land records.

“We are planning to get clearance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs,” said an official. On Thursday, senior officials inspected the drones to be used for the survey.

Security measures

According to sources, measures have been taken to prevent drones from coming into the flight paths of aircraft in areas such as Adyar, Alandur and Saidapet.

In 2014, the Central government banned the use of UAV by any non-government entity, organisation or an individual, but later formulated rules for regulating drones.


The operator will intimate the air traffic authorities concerned.

“We have studied notified prohibited, restricted and danger areas in the airspace. The operation will be restricted to areas outside the lateral and vertical boundaries of such areas,” said an official.

After the survey, the drones will not be sold or disposed of without permission from civil aviation officials.

The operator would ensure that all security measures were in place before the drones took off.

Restricted areas

If any accident occurred during the flight civil aviation authorities would be notified on the same day. “Drones will not be flown over sensitive locations such as military facilities and other strategic locations,” said the official.

The survey will be done only during the day with proper ground visibility and suitable surface winds.

Residents may report to the civic body any civic issues or injury caused by such drones on the corporation helpline 1913.