Jammu and Kashmir admin asks drone operators to get registered, inform DM, police

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The Union Territory administration on Thursday asked the people intending to fly drones in Jammu and Kashmir to share their details with the office of district magistrates concerned as well as the nearest police stations and compulsorily register themselves with the authorities.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has notified 'The Drone Rules, 2021' applicable to all persons owning or possessing or engaged in leasing, operating, transferring or maintaining unmanned aircraft systems in India.

"Through the medium of circular, it is impressed upon all intended operators of unmanned aircraft systems to ensure the compliance of 'the drone rules, 2021' in letter and spirit. Accordingly, the details of the same shall be shared with the office of concerned district magistrates of Jammu division as well as the nearest police station," Divisional Commissioner Jammu province Dr Raghav Langar said in circular issued here.

The circular said that in order to ensure compliance to the rules, all persons operating an unmanned aircraft system shall have to compulsorily register themselves by making an application on digital sky platform and obtain Unique Identification Number (UIN) under the rules on payment of requisite fee.

The need to frame these rules was felt in order to check the unregulated operations of drones which may be misused to capture video and photographs of vital key installations thereby compromising the security, the Divisional Commissioner said.

The unregulated flying of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles poses a serious threat to life and property. The new drone rules provide that no unmanned aircraft shall be operated unless such unmanned aircraft system conforms to a type certificate or is exempted from the requirement of a type certificate under these rules.

It is further provided that before commencing an unmanned aircraft system operation, a remote pilot has to mandatorily verify the digital sky platform for any notification or restriction applicable to unmanned aircraft system operations in the intended area of operation as central government may update the interactive airspace map on digital sky platform for unmanned aircraft system operations from time to time in order to change the status of an area from one Zone to another.

It said that prior permission from Air Traffic Control Authority concerned is required for operating unmanned aircraft system in yellow zone and only central government can allow for unmanned aircraft system operations in red zone.

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