The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G), has used drones to reach out to the people trapped in the floodwaters in lowerAssam, with relief. Rainwater rolling down from the Bhutan Hills has caused untold damage to this region this monsoon and left thousands of marooned villagers without food and shelter.
The whole operation is being carried out by the Drones Tech Lab, a start-up atIITGuwahati, and students of the aeromodelling club of the institute with the help of the Kamrup District Administration since Friday. They have started the delivery of medicines and relief materials in Kamrup through drones as numerous villages in lower Assam, where IIT-G is located, have been cut off from the rest of the state for over a week now. Hundreds of people are still struggling for emergency needs.
Over the last one week, IIT-G conducted surveys and mapping of flood-affected areas surrounding Balisatra Chariali, near Kendukona village, one of the worst flood-hit locations. IIT-G said their drone technology will help in identifying stranded citizens during floods or other natural disasters such as Earthquakes and landslides in a very short time and provide real time information to disaster response authorities.