Panic Grips Gurugram After Drone Delivering Frozen Chicken Crashes In Residential Society

A drone delivering frozen chicken crashed into a residential society in Gurugram on Thursday, police said. They added that an FIR was registered against the company operating the drone for breaching CrPC Section 144, which was enforced in the city.

The drone, operated by Skye Air, crashed into the G Block of South City 2 society in Gurgaon’s Sector 50. The police said that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was visiting the city, and an order under Section 144 of the CrPC regarding unmanned aerial devices was active at the time.

Drones transporting items weighing below 5 kg are permitted, and the payload carried by this particular drone was within this limit. The drone collided with the building and descended, the Indian Express reported quoting the complainant.

Police have requested necessary permissions and documents required for its operation during the enforcement of the order. An investigation is currently underway.

The drone was en route to deliver food from Vipul Trade Centre to Fresco Apartments when it crashed just 50 meters away from its intended destination.

A spokesperson from Skye Air said that the company has secured all necessary approvals and permissions for conducting drone operations along the designated route.

“As per our findings, we had to do an emergency landing due to a sudden object coming in the path. No loss of lives or any major damage has been reported. Skye Air has all the required permissions from local authorities too. The company has been testing this system with zero incidents and has completed thousands of flights. We ensure maximum safety with parachutes and ADSB on board,” a Skye Air official as quoted in several media reports.

This comes at a time when drone startups are booming after the Centre liberalised the policy governing drone operation in India via the Drones Rules 2021.

A slew of positive announcements have been made for the sector. For example, the Cabinet’s approval of INR 120 Cr PLI scheme, a ban on the import of drones – intended to boost domestic manufacturing, and the drone certification scheme to ensure safety and quality requirements are a few positive steps.

Besides, the establishment of digital airspace mapping for drones alongside announcements such as Drone Shakti and Kisan drones have been touted as a step in the right direction by experts.

As technology advances and regulations evolve, the future of drone delivery in India has started to look promising. With improved capabilities and a conducive regulatory framework, a significant expansion of drone delivery services in the near future is anticipated, reshaping logistics across the country.