The Uttar Pradesh Police will deploy anti-drone technology during the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in the Indian holy city of Ayodhya, scheduled on January 22, according to multiple reports.
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The need for anti-drone technology was first felt during the 2019 Kumbh Mela when unauthorised drone usage in the designated no-fly zones gave a major headache to security agencies. Learning from it, the UP police will become the first state police force in India to deploy the technology.
UP Police Director General (law and order), Prashant Kumar has confirmed that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s administration had approved the deployment of the latest security measure.
“They detect and intercept unwanted drones by scanning for specific radio frequencies or even identifying individual drone models based on their command protocols. Additionally, electro-optical and infrared sensors can detect drones through their visual and heat signatures,” a UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) official was quoted as saying by Times of India.
Apart from the anti-drone tech, there are reports that agencies may introduce artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance to strengthen the security apparatus.
“The pilot project of AI surveillance is likely to be launched for Ayodhya. After some time, if found feasible, it could be made an integral part of the security and surveillance drill,” a senior police official told media.
The AI tool could be used to detect suspicious trends within the temple premises, such as frequent visitors or any other common trend followed by unruly elements.
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Ram temple consecration ceremony
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the consecration ceremony of the temple, over three years after laying the foundation stone (Bhumi puja) in August 2020.
The temple is central to the beliefs of Hindus and has been built after a long legal process which culminated with the landmark decision by the Supreme Court in 2019.
Under the verdict, the land upon which the Babri masjid was razed was given to the Hindu side while the Muslims were granted a piece of land to build a mosque, far away from the contentious spot.
The entire temple complex has been built in the traditional Nagara style. Upon completion, the temple will be 380 feet long (east-west direction), 250 feet wide and 161 feet high. Each floor of the temple will be 20 ft high with a total of 392 pillars and 44 gates.
(With inputs from agencies)
