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The mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh is going to showcase and adapt drones in a bigger way to facilitate disaster management, supervision of electricity supply lines, agriculture, horticulture and healthcare, besides road surface condition monitoring.

To explore latest advancements, showcase success stories and shape the future of drones in various sectors, the state Department of Digital Technologies and Governance is organising a two-day event at Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (CSKHPKV) in Palampur in Kangra district on July 4-5.

The inaugural session of the conclave will be presided over by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu. The event aims to explore the diverse applications of drone technology in various sectors like governance, law enforcement, disaster management, agriculture and forest management, tourism, infrastructure development and management and exploring career opportunities, a government spokesperson told IANS.

The conclave brings together industry leaders, experts, academia and stakeholders to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration in the rapidly evolving field of drones.

During the inaugural session, topics like the current scenario of drone technology in Himachal Pradesh, and the role of drone technology in governance will be highlighted.

The conclave will also be addressed by Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretary (Industries) R.D. Nazeem, Secretary (IT) Abhishek Jain, among other guests. The first panel discussion will focus on the career opportunities for the youth in drone technologies. It will delve into the increasing drone usage and manufacturing capabilities, highlighting the new avenues for employment in drone flying, data processing, and applications.

The discussion will provide insights into the exciting career opportunities available in this field besides, the second will throw light and focus on the diverse applications of drone technology in law enforcement, disaster management, and forest conservation.

Topics to be covered include surveillance in border areas and unrest-prone places, night surveillance, target identification, search and rescue operations during disasters, delivery of essential supplies and information to people in distress, as well as curbing wildlife poaching and theft of forest resources, the spokesperson told IANS.

In the third panel discussion, the applications of drones in agriculture, horticulture, and forest management will be explored. It will highlight how drones enable farmers to adopt safe methods of pesticide spraying, facilitate precision farming, monitor crops, promote efficient use of farm inputs, assess crop damage, and monitor forest cover and afforestation efforts.

On the final day, a session will be organised on the critical role of drones in delivering medical supplies and facilitating logistics and delve into the applications of drones in infrastructure management and developmental projects.

It will showcase how drones enable in-time healthcare services in remote areas, provide a quick response during emergencies, ensure the easy transportation of time-sensitive goods and materials, serve as efficient carriers for logistics in hilly areas, and contribute to environmental sustainability.