Latest news with #DroneCorporation
Hans India
12-08-2025
- Science
- Hans India
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.
The Hindu
11-08-2025
- The Hindu
700 public services will be available on WhatsApp from August 15, says Chandrababu Naidu
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that starting August 15, the government will provide 700 different public services through the Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance platform, enabling citizens to access services without visiting government offices. During a review meeting at the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) on Monday, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure smooth functioning of the WhatsApp-based services without technical glitches, and to launch awareness campaigns to encourage wider usage. As part of the visit, the Chief Minister inaugurated Aware 2.0, an upgraded RTGS module capable of forecasting rainfall and analysing real-time water data, including inflows into rivers, groundwater absorption, and optimal rainwater utilisation. In the meeting, Mr. Naidu issued key directives related to disease control, drone surveillance, technology-driven law enforcement, and early rainfall alerts. Take preventive measures to stop the spread of infectious diseases, with focus on achieving the zero malaria target. Use drones to identify hotspot areas, carry out rapid contamination control, and maintain continuous monitoring to deter rowdy-sheeters. Fully utilise technology to curb anti-social activities with an 'iron hand' approach. Deploy Artificial Intelligence to monitor wind quality. Predict heavy rainfall in advance and alert local irrigation associations and relevant engineers for preparedness, he said. Drone applications Mr. Naidu called for rapid expansion of drone-based services, with the Drone Corporation currently having 45 use cases ready. He emphasised deploying drones in agriculture to significantly cut pesticide usage, and in public health to control mosquito breeding and prevent disease outbreaks. The construction of a dedicated 'Drone City' should be expedited, he said. Data Lake Mr. Naidu directed RTGS to complete its Data Lake project by November and leverage Artificial Intelligence for effective analysis. He urged integration of e-crop and soil fertility data to develop district-specific recommendations that would help farmers reduce fertilizer use. Each of the 175 Assembly constituencies of the State should have a scientific analysis of development needs, he said. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, IT and RTG Secretary Bhaskar Katamneni, RTGS CEO Prakhar Jain, and Deputy CEO M. Madhuri, among others.
