It is reported that the Army is making plans of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for the first time ever to locate people washed away in floods and reconnaissance in Assam. A major demonstration involving the Army, Navy, Indian Air Force, central paramilitary forces, Assam Government and civil administration, is presently underway in Guwahati to prepare for possible floods in Assam.The state, including parts of the capital Guwahati, are badly affected by floods every year during July and August.
Lt Col Suneet Newton, Army PRO from Guwahati said, “The Army is nominated as the lead agency to carry out a national level exercise for flood relief in an urban setting along with other stakeholders in Guwahati between Wednesday and Friday. This is a first of its kind exercise in India with an objective to get all stakeholders together and will include practising of drills to provide succour to people stranded due to abnormal flooding of areas, rescue of marooned people, provision of immediate medical aid, setting up of relief camps, supply of relief material to the affected populace and their subsequent rehabilitation. In the past few years, a large number of unexpected floods have been experienced in the major urban centers of the country, resulting in colossal damage to life and property. The devastation experienced by the citizens of Chennai in December last year is still fresh in the minds of people.”
He further added that, “UAVs, helicopters of the IAF and Army Aviation and Navy divers along with elite Special Forces will participate in Ex-Jalrahat to demonstrate use of potent capabilities and modern technology to assist in disaster management effort. The UAVs will be used to detect trapped people and reconnaissance of flood affected areas from an elevated platform. The flood relief operations practised and validated during the course of this exercise will act as a readily available knowledge resource for execution of flood relief actions across the country and act as ready material for periodical updating of the National Disaster Management Policy – 2016.”
According to Newton, parts of Guwahati get flooded during the monsoons and experts believe that this problem is likely to assume colossal proportions in the future due to rapid urbanisation, population pressure on existing infrastructure and overloaded drainage systems in the city.
Source: The Northeast Today