The drones of tomorrow

Unmanned aerial vehicles need enabling regulations

One of the challenges of wedding photography is videotaping the procession as it starts its journey from the groom's house. However, of late an increasingly common solution has been the deployment of a camera-drone. It allows for unusual and interesting angles of coverage. Drones are also covering fashion shows, political rallies and concerts. And there is much talk of using them to deliver pizza. Clearly, drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are now well and truly part of everyday life. The cost of owning and operating one is roughly equivalent to a mobile phone. Many UAV models are available off the shelf, with prices between Rs 3,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh. Of course, the military and security uses are well-known. The Indian security establishment is said to deploy more types of drones - at least 50 different models - than any nation other than the USA. The police use UAVs for monitoring religious processions and gatherings such as those during Ganesh Chaturthi, Ramzan, the Kumbh Mela and so on. The deployment of UAVs which can spray tear gas on rioters is also under consideration.

But UAVs can also perform a very wide range of civilian tasks. They are used for mapping and surveying, and gathering meteorological, environmental and oceanographic data. Spraying of crops with pesticides and fertilisers was pioneered by Japanese farmers. UAVs are also deployed for monitoring activity in forests, and in disaster relief. They can be used to deliver food and medicine across difficult terrain, or to provide Internet connectivity. Given increasingly sophisticated technology and human ingenuity, the sky is literally the limit when it comes to figuring out new usages for drones. There is a domestic industry with at least 25 local UAV manufacturers, and many start-ups offering software and associated technological products and services. There is even a lobby: the Unmanned Systems Association of India.

Obviously, there are concerns about safety, security and privacy. Accidents could happen, or UAVs could be used deliberately to cause harm in many ways, or to spy on people. But blanket bans would be impossible to enforce, apart from being retrogressive in spirit. What is needed are modern regulations; but there are no regulations governing the use of UAVs, either by government agencies, or by private citizens and companies. As of now, the civilian UAV sector operates under the constraint of almost absurd regulations, which were released in October 2014. In theory, every civilian user is supposed to seek permission for every UAV flight from both the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Ministry of Home Affairs. In practice, these regulations are unsurprisingly, often ignored. It is easier to "request" local police to look the other way. The security implications are terrifying.

The DGCA is said to be formulating draft regulations for civilians, based on the regulations of the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA licenses civilian use of UAVs weighing less than 25 kg, which can be flown at heights of up to 150 metres (or 492 feet) and at speeds of up to 160 kilometres an hour. Flights are restricted to line-of-sight. Commercial operators may apply for renewable permits. No-fly zones are also defined. But even the FAA regulations have been criticised as constricting. UAVs can fly much higher, at far greater speeds, and safely out of line-of-sight. But if the DGCA does release a draft, the details could be thrashed out via the usual consultation process. The regulations would have to be subject to review as technology improves. It also behoves the government to set transparent, clearly defined limits on the use of UAVs by its own agencies, given the privacy implications. UAVs provide classic examples of technology which can be both disruptive and enabling. There are enormous potential benefits but there are also obvious dangers. Regulation is absolutely necessary but it must be flexible and guided by common sense.