Srinagar administration bans use and sale of drones

Local authorities have banned the storage, sale, possession, use and transport of drones and similar kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles in the territorial jurisdiction of Srinagar district.
The order, issued by the Srinagar district magistrate, came in the wake of a drone attack on the Air Force station in Jammu on June 26 and subsequent activities of drones near sensitive installations. The activity of flying objects was observed mostly around military installations, which has triggered a security alert across J&K.

According to the new directive, people who already have drones or similar kind of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in their possession have been asked to ground the same at the local police station.

In Srinagar, the police have already started scrutinising the drone footages uploaded by locals on different social media platforms.

Earlier, the border district of Rajouri in Jammu had also banned the usage and possession of drones.

The order reads that the decentralised airspace access has to be regulated in view of recent episodes of misuse of drones posing threat to security infrastructure.

Due to the new 'technological threat', police claim that they have tightened security around all sensitive locations, including airports.

The district magistrate of Srinagar, Mohammad Aijaz, said to secure the aerial space near vital installations, it is imperative to discontinue the use of drones in all social and cultural gatherings to eliminate any risk of injury to life and damage to property.

"Keeping in view the security situation apart from concerns of breach of privacy, nuisance and trespass, it is extremely dangerous to let unmanned aerial vehicles to wander around in the skies within the territorial jurisdiction of Srinagar district," the order said.

Moreover, government departments using drones for mapping, surveys and surveillance in agricultural, environment conservation and disaster mitigation sectors shall inform the local police station before undertaking any such activity.