Security From Sky ! Railways introduces Drone-based surveillance system for Security

New Delhi, August 19: In a bid to boost the security and surveillance in Railway areas, Indian Railways has recently procured two Ninja UAVs for better security surveillance over large areas with limited manpower in railway areas like station premises, Railway track sections, yards, workshops.

 

 

The ministry said that Drone surveillance technology has emerged as an important and cost-effective tool for security surveillance over large areas with limited manpower.

 

 

A team of four staff members of RPF Mumbai has been trained for drone flying, surveillance, and maintenance. These drones are capable of Real-Time Tracking, Video Streaming and may be operated on Automatic Fail Safe Mode. Nine drones have been procured by RPF so far at a cost of around 32 lakh at South Eastern Railway, Central Railway, Modern Coaching Factory, Raebareli, and South Western Railway.

 

The purpose of the drone deployment is to provide a force multiplier and aid to the effectiveness of the security personnel deployed. It can help in inspection of Railway assets and safety of Yards, Workshops, car sheds, etc. it can be used to launch surveillance on criminal and anti-social activities like gambling, throwing of garbage, hawking, etc in Railway premises. It may be deployed for data collection Analysis of such data collected may prove to be extremely useful in vulnerable sections for safe operations of trains.

 

Giving the information about the drone the Ministry said that drone has a camera which can cover a large area which requires 8-10 RPF personnel. Thus, it may lead to substantial improvement in the utilization of scarce manpower. Drone beats have been designed based on railway assets, the sensitivity of the area, the activity of criminals, etc.

 

Moreover, they also added that drones will act as an “EYE IN THE SKY” and monitors the whole area. Any suspicious activity if noticed is intimated to the nearest RPF post of division to apprehend the criminal LIVE. One such criminal was apprehended on a real-time basis in the Wadibunder Yard area while he was trying to commit theft inside the railway coach stationed in the yard.

 

It is further proposed to procure seventeen (17) more drones in the future at a cost of Rs. 97.52 Lakhs. Nineteen (19) RPF personnel have so far been trained in operation and maintenance of drones out of which 4 have received licenses for flying drones. Six (06) more RPF personnel are being trained.