To rescue people from drowning, the BMC will soon deploy five remote-controlled drones on the six-km-long stretch of Juhu beach. With each drone costing around ₹6 lakh, they will be able to carry a maximum 100 kg weight at a time. The sheer capability would be helpful in lifting the victim drowning in the middle of the sea and reaching the individual could be a task, given that every moment counts in such a precarious situation. Recently, five people drowned in the sea at Juhu beach.
A trial run of drone deployment at the beach has been already done and a proposal would soon be sent to the BMC chief. Deputy Municipal Commissioner Vishwasrao Shankarwar said, “Juhu beach is six-km-long and monitoring the entire stretch is difficult."
How the drone can save people
Sometimes, when the person drowning is inside the sea, it takes time to reach the distressed person. During the monsoon, it takes even longer to reach the victim. Therefore, the idea of using drones was in discussions from the last few years.
Recently, the company, which is making drones, conducted a trial run on the beach. We have decided to buy five drones in the initial stage. In the next few days, we will ask the Fire Brigade to move the proposal before the commissioner.”
Drone's coverage radius of 2km
With a coverage radius of 2km, these drones can travel at a speed of 12-15 metres per second, said an official, adding that they will be equipped with rope-like extensions and the distressed person can catch hold of it and come to the seashore.
The trial runs were carried during the high and low tides and a distance of 60-70 metres could be covered within less than a minute. These drones can also operate on radio frequency when there is no internet connection. The feature will help authorities to operate drones during extreme weather conditions when signal is usually weak.
