Nashik police declare city no-fly zone for drones until May 31 amid ongoing military conflict

Nashik: All areas falling under the Nashik city police commissionerate have been declared a no-fly zone for drones until May 31 against the backdrop of the ongoing military conflict in the country.

The police stated that apart from drones, paragliders, paramotors, hot air balloons, and microlight aircraft are also banned and cannot be flown without police permission.

A release from the city police cited various instances of drone attacks across the globe, causing significant damage to life and property over the past few years. In addition to drone attacks, the police also referenced incidents at some airports in the country and the smuggling of drugs with the help of drones.

The release mentioned that in light of past events where drones were used for attacks and smuggling, the police have decided to ban their use in all areas under the city police commissionerate's jurisdiction to prevent any untoward incidents. No drone can be flown without police permission within the city limits until May 31.

The new directive from the police is in addition to the permanent no-fly zone for drones over 16 sensitive places in the city, which the police declared in May 2022.

In 2022, the police were on alert when a drone was spotted flying over sensitive establishments in the city, including the Combat Army Aviation Training School in Gandhinagar and near the DRDO office at Adgaon. In response, they had issued a list of at least 16 sensitive zones where flying drones was to strictly not be allowed.

At the time, the police had also issued orders temporarily to drone owners or operators to deposit their drones at the relevant police station and seek permission to collect and use them under paid supervision. They had also confiscated drones from owners in the aftermath.