A youth from Polba in the district, along with two of his friends, have developed a technologically upgraded and low-cost kisan drone.
The makers claim the drone is a multi-purpose device with wide ranging use.
Krishanu Singh, a Shibpur engineering graduate in aerospace engineering and a farmer’s son, had a brainwave in putting to use an advanced technology in sprinkling and spraying of insecticide and pesticides. Drones in western countries are usually put in use for agricultural purposes. But in India, using drones for agri purposes comes at a huge cost, limiting its use. Krishanu, with two other friends, Mayank Raj Bongsho and Deepak Soani took up the challenge to develop a highly-advanced, upgraded version of the existing kisan drone. The new version of the drone is within the buying capacity of an average Indian farmer, claimed the youth.
Moreover, the new version of the kisan drone can be programmed to carry 10 liters of insecticide and pesticides and spray it over a circumference of 3 km, it can spray three acres of farm area in just seven minutes. Additionally, it can take photographs of plants and trees found under the attack of unusual degenerations. The device can automatically return to its base to get its tank refilled with pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. The device can be also used to sprinkle fish food on fish breeding beds, the device can also send aerial views of agricultural land and detect unusual movements thus helping in safety and security of farm lands, said its makers.
Krishanu said the agricultural department will train farmers towards the functional and operational use of the new version of the drones. The central government, in an effort to encourage the use of advanced technology in agriculture, is providing subsidies in buying the cost of the kisan drones.