A week after two Indian Air Force personnel were injured in twin drone-driven attacks on the technical airport in Jammu, the Jammu and Kashmir administration banned the use and storage of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles in the capital Srinagar on Sunday, July 4.
“To secure the aerial space near the vital installations and highly populated areas, it is imperative to discontinue the use of drones in all social and cultural gatherings to eliminate any risk of injury to the life and damage to property,” Srinagar District Magistrate Mohammad Aijaz said in an order.
“It is further ordered that persons already having the drone cameras/similar kind of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in their possession shall ground the same in the local police station under proper receipt,” Ajaz said in the order.
Moreover, it further stated that government agencies employing drones for mapping, surveying, and surveillance in the “agricultural, environmental conservation, and disaster mitigation” sectors must notify local police before engaging in any public-interest activity.
DC Srinagar has also asked the senior superintendent of police, Srinagar, to ensure that the order is implemented. The order has also cautioned that “Any violation of this order shall attract punitive action as warranted under relevant laws.”
The border district of Rajouri and Kathua issued similar orders last week. However, this was the first such instance of drones used in a terror attack on an Indian military facility.
Meanwhile, the J&K Police is roaming in the villages in the border areas and creating awareness among the villagers about drones.
