Drones, para-gliders, hot air balloons banned in Delhi ahead of Independence Day

(Reported by Jitendra Sharma)

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Tuesday issued an order banning the use of drones and para-gliders in the national capital as a preventive measure ahead of the upcoming Independence Day celebrations.

The notification issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik said, ''Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have been banned completely in the city with effect from July 25,2018 till August 15, 2018.''

The Delhi Police also prohibited flying of sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders, para-motors, hang-gliders, UAVs, UASs, microlight aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, hot air balloons and many more for a period of 22 days.

''It has been reported that certain criminal, anti-social elements or terrorists, inimical to India may pose a threat to the safety of the general public, dignitaries and vital installations by the use of sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders, para-motors, hang-gliders, UAVs, UASs, microlight aircrafts, remotely piloted aircrafts, hot air balloons, small size powered aircrafts, quadcopters or even by para-jumping from aircraft and others," the Delhi Police said in a statement.

The notification is believed to have been taken amid fears that drones and para-gliders could be used to stage a terrorist attack or create law and order problem in the national capital, especially during the Independence Day celebrations.

Delhi Police will also keep an eye on the unauthorised movement of drones and para-gliders in the city and anyone violating it will be strictly dealt with under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

Delhi Police have been directed to step up vigil and has acquired hundreds of digital cameras to be installed at strategic locations in and around Rajpath for greater surveillance.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is commonly known as a drone, which is a remote-controlled aircraft without a human pilot aboard. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which include a UAV, a ground-based controller and a system of communications between the two.