Fighting COVID-19: BMC, Smart City use Drones to Sanitize Janpath

Bhubaneswar: Making use of modern technology in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the City of Temples, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSC), in a joint initiative, carried out spraying of disinfectant through drones from Rajmahal Square to Sishu Bhawan Square today, at 9:30 am.

Two drones were used on a trial basis for this purpose i.e. one drone was used for surveillance purpose and the other was flying at a height of 2 mts (6 fts) spraying disinfectant across the stretch between Rajmahal and Sishu Bhawan Square.

The drone, spraying disinfectant, has a capacity of carrying 15 litres of disinfectant and can spray the same over a stretch of 1.5 kms with a spread of 5 mts within a period of 15 minutes.

BMC had barricaded the entire stretch from Rajmahal Square to Sishu Bhawan Square along with all the atrial roads joining the main-road upto 2 PM to ensure that this stretch was free from people and animals for the spraying of disinfectant.

The civic body also had made all the necessary announcements at the same location regarding the spray of disinfectant for public awareness.

BMC had provided the disinfectant solution which was mixed with water at a ratio of 1:100 before spraying. During the disinfectant spray all the necessary support was provided by Commissionerate Police and based on the view captured by the surveillance drone as and when any person or animal identified in this stretch on the road or footpath, Police took required steps to move them out.