Garuda drone replaces manpower to sanitize corona hotspots in city

TNN | Apr 19, 2020, 04:01 IST

Garuda drone sanitised areas of Madanpura locality in city on Saturday

Varanasi: The Garuda drone replaced the risky manual sanitisation of the coronavirus hotspot in Madanpura locality of Varanasi on Sunday.
The petrol fuelled Garuda drone containing pesticides sanitised heavily populated areas of Madanpura. It was monitored from Godowlia by the divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal.
“After Madanpura, this sanitisation drone will also be used to disinfect hotspots of Bajardiha, Lohta, Nakkhighat and Gangapur,” said Agrawal.
As per the contract signed between the Chennai-based aerospace company from where the drone was purchased, Varanasi Municipal Corporation and Varanasi Smart City Limited, this drone was introduced in view of the topography of localities.
“It has also enabled the VMC to reduce deployment of manpower available with it and utilise it in other areas which are comparatively safer for humans ,” said Agrawal.
“Sanitisation through drone will take place between 8 am and 6 pm daily,” he added.
Municipal commissioner Gaurang Rathi said, after covering the hotspots, the drone would also sanitize buffer areas, shelter homes, quarantine centres, isolation wards and even the safe localities of the city.
For this task, a team of seven persons including pilots are assigned by the agency. Through this cost-effective project, the hotspots and buffer zones will undergo sanitisation twice a day.