The Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA) of Uttarakhand is collaborating with IIT-Roorkee to create heavy-lift drones that can carry up to 120 kg and transfer patients and injured people from remote mountain locations during emergencies or disasters.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the agency and IIT Roorkee governs the development of drones. According to ITDA Director Amit Sinha, the initiative has already begun under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding because IIT-Roorkee is home to a drone research center, and ITDA operates a government drone application center in the state. Experts from both organizations are collaborating on the drones dynamics.

According to Sinha, the drones will largely be utilized to deliver relief supplies to the states disaster-affected regions, particularly in challenging hilly terrain. The drones might fly significant amounts of relief supplies over short distances, and transport wounded and injured people to nearby ambulances or medical facilities in the highlands. These quadcopters (four-rotor helicopters) would be drones that would likely be created within a year.

The ITDA also intends to train young people from BPL families in drone operations to work in crises or disasters. In Rishikesh, there is already one drone training facility under construction with 25 seats, and there will be others in the remaining 12 districts.

Shashi Singh, additional director of ITDA (procurement and finance), stated that after talking with the state government, they are also planning to hire trained youths in areas such as border security, disaster management (where drones can deliver medicines and samples), agriculture (where drones can determine which area is ideal for growing crops), and disaster management (where drones can find out damage or trapped people).

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/uttarakhand-now-heavy-lift-drones-to-carry-injured-relief-aid/95775333)