Now, drones to drop Covid vaccines, medicines in inaccessible areas

Now drones will be delivering COVID vaccines and other emergency medicines to inaccessible and difficult areas in a short span of time. Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, while launching the first-of-its-kind drone driven aerial delivery facility on Saturday, told news agency ANI, the drone has been built being inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Har Ghar Dastak" vision. 

The first consignment of 50 vials of COVID vaccine was dropped by the drone near Jammu's Marh area.

The minister said, “The indigenously developed drone will also be called COVID warrior. It can be used at low cost in especially mountain states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh where it is not possible in every situation to deliver vaccines."

“Drone will drop "sanjeevani booti" for the protection of humanity and human lives.”

"It has been launched at such a place which is located on the border. This is such a place where a lot of drones were sent from the Pakistani side for a long time. The incoming drone from Pakistan drops explosives for the destruction of humanity, disrupt peace, to promote terrorism. Our drone will drop 'sanjeevani booti' for the protection of humanity and human lives and maintain peace," he said.

Drone is developed by CSIR in Bengaluru

The "Octacopter" drone, which will be used for the services, has been developed indigenously at Bengaluru at the initiative of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR).

Singh said “Octacopter has compliance to DGCA-NPNT, Geo fencing and digital sky with 360 degree Collision avoidance making it one of the best UAV of its class."

He also added that the Octacopter developed by National Aerospace Laboratory, Bengaluru, can be used for a variety of BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) applications for last mile delivery of medicines, vaccines, food, postal packets, Human organs etc.

(With inputs from agencies)