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The Delhi Police on Monday imposed Section 144 around the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi, and banned drones and laser beam activities in the funnel area, which falls within the approach path of flights to the international airport. The restrictions come a day ahead of the counting of the votes of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on June 4.
As per news agency ANI, official sources claimed that measures were taken to allow VVIP aircraft movement at the IGI airport ahead of massive political developments in the country and the oath-taking ceremony of the next Prime Minister of India. The restrictions will remain in force from June 1 to July 30 (including both dates).
1. The order banning the use of drones and laser beams around New Delhi airport comes as the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) noted several such cases which distracted the pilot and created significant safety concerns for aviation operations.
2. "And whereas, it has been found that a number of farms, houses, banquets, hotels, restaurants, etc. have come up in and around the jurisdiction of IGI Airport wherein a lot of lights, including laser beams, are used on the celebration of marriages, parties and different events held therein, which is a source of nuisance in general and cause of vision distraction to the pilots in particular," the order said.
3. Similar instructions were issued regarding the use of drones, and it was also mentioned that terrorists might use Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for their targets in India.
4. "And whereas the safety and security of government, public property, and human beings is a matter of serious concern, there is a need to deter the operations of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from the point of view of aviation safety and terrorist threats. And whereas it is necessary to take speedy measures on this behalf to prevent the above-mentioned dangerous threat," the order reads.
5. The Delhi Police is making elaborate arrangements for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 counting day and is prepared to provide adequate safety at all counting centres.
6. "Elaborate security arrangements have been made by Delhi Police for the vote-counting day of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. On 4th June, during the counting process, around 70 companies of the force will be deployed at all the seven counting centres across Delhi," the Delhi Police said in a statement.
7. A day before the counting, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar held a press conference and assured people of the robustness of the counting process.
8. "The entire counting process is absolutely robust. We don't think there is a robust system like it anywhere. Every part is decided. The whole process is codified. Micro-observers are in place. There cannot be any mistake in this process. Lakhs of people, including counting officials, counting agents, micro-observers, ROs/AROs, and Observers, were present during the world's largest counting exercise. Before the elections, EVMs were randomised. All candidates and agents were present to observe who were at the booth," he said.
9. Responding to the request by Opposition parties, the CEC said that postal ballots will be counted first. "In all centres, counting of postal ballots will start first. After only half an hour, EVM counting will start. It happened in 2019, it happened in all 2022 Assembly elections, and it happened yesterday also in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim," the CEC said.
10. Rajiv Kumar also accepted that the intense heatwave conditions across India created significant challenges for the voting process. His biggest learning from the Lok Sabha elections 2024 is that the poll process should be concluded before summer.
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