Bhubaneshwar, 12th June 2023: State government and local Police authorities confirmed that flying of drones is banned near the Puri Jagannath temple.
The move comes ahead of the annual Rath Yatra Festival that is celebrated. The restriction is in place till July 1, and strict legal action will be taken against the defaulters of the law.
The advice was given with the safety and security of Srimandir, Sri Gundicha temple, deity chariots, and worshippers in mind.
Because the Jagannath Temple has been designated as a Red Zone under the provisions of The Drone Rules 2021, no one is permitted to fly the devices over the temple grounds, according to the advisory, which also stated that no operator should fly a drone without a valid UIN (unique identification number) issued by the DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation).
The notice added that the drone operators would be held responsible for any mishap involving property damage or a person’s injury. They added that a simple verification system would be set in place for checking the documents for the drones, and only the police authorities would be permitted to operate the carriers to monitor traffic, crowd density and beach security.
