6 days ago
CM for deploying drones to curb pesticide use
Amaravati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has called upon the state's Drone Corporation to expand its services across the state. In this context, he emphasised increasing the use of drones in agriculture to significantly reduce farmers' resort to pesticides and fertilizers. Officials told him that 45 use cases for drones were currently ready.
During a review of the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) center at the Secretariat here on Monday, he suggested using drones also for public health initiatives, such as controlling the spread of infectious diseases and those spread by mosquitoes. He directed officials to expedite the construction of a dedicated Drone City.
At the review, he reaffirmed that, starting August 15, the state government will provide over 700 services to citizens through 'Mana Mitra,' the state's one-of-its-kind WhatsApp governance initiative. In this regard, the Chief Minister instructed officials to ensure that all relevant departments work together to prevent any technical issues for citizens using the WhatsApp service. He emphasized the need to raise public awareness about the platform so that citizens can access government services without needing to visit government offices in person.
It may be mentioned here that on June 2nd RTGS of Andhra Pradesh and the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for leveraging space technologies to facilitate real-time citizen-centric governance. The collaboration is expected to enhance RTGS's AWARE (AP Weather Forecasting and Early Warning Research Centre) platform with satellite imagery and scientific inputs across 42+ applications across agriculture, weather, disaster management and urban planning. AWARE integrates data from satellites, drones, Internet of Things, sensors, mobile feeds, and CCTV to deliver real-time alerts and advisories to citizens and the government via SMS, WhatsApp, media and social media.
On Monday, the Chief Minister, during his visit, launched AWARE 2.0, a new version of the RTGS's AWARE division. He explained that the system can now predict rainfall patterns, track water flow from catchment areas into rivers, measure groundwater absorption, and provide real-time data to help departments manage water resources efficiently. He called for the use of technology to monitor village ponds and prevent water scarcity.
Naidu also highlighted the potential of using CCTV cameras for more than just traffic and law enforcement. He suggested using them to monitor waterlogging during floods and cyclones to alert citizens and coordinate rescue efforts. He proposed using WhatsApp to send videos of traffic violations to citizens, promoting awareness, and deterring future offenses.
Regarding the Data Lake project, the Chief Minister instructed that it be completed by November.
He stressed the importance of using Artificial Intelligence to effectively utilise this data. He urged RTGS to collaborate with officials and secretaries from various departments to develop use cases based on available data. By integrating e-crop data with soil data, the government aims to create a system that helps farmers reduce fertilizer consumption.
Naidu also called for a scientific analysis of the issues and developmental needs in the state's 175 constituencies.
Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, RTGS CEO Prakhar Jain, Deputy CEO M. Madhuri, and other senior officials attended the review meeting. IT and RTGS Department Secretary Bhaskar Katamneni provided a detailed presentation on the society's progress and performance.
