New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Saturday announced that the Department of Posts has launched drone‑based transmission of mail and parcels in Himachal Pradesh, reducing the transit time to just seven minutes from two hours.

The initiative builds upon feedback received during Scindia’s interactions with Gramin Dak Sevaks and Postal Assistants, where the need for faster and more efficient connectivity in remote and difficult terrains was highlighted.

The Department of Posts has planned deployment of drone‑based mail transmission across around 150 identified routes in Himachal Pradesh and Assam over the next two to three months, with the Mandi–Rehardhar route being the first to operationalise the initiative, an official statement said.

The Rehardhar branch post office, located about 12 km from the Mandi head post office, currently takes over two hours to connect through conventional arrangements. With drone‑based transmission, the transit time has been reduced to just about seven minutes.

The service overcomes terrain‑related challenges while enabling real‑time tracking and providing an environmentally sustainable mode of transportation. The initiative is expected to enhance service delivery, strengthen connectivity in remote and mountainous regions and improve access to essential postal services for local communities, thereby fostering greater social and economic inclusion.

In Himachal Pradesh, apple growers in remote and inaccessible areas have been transporting apples and other fruits from orchards via drones.

In the wake of the immense potential of unmanned aerial vehicles, the ICAR‑Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla has initiated work on the “Development of Drone‑based Potato Crop Management Technologies” at its regional stations in Modipuram and Jalandhar since 2020.

The initiative was undertaken in collaboration with Bayer Crop Science Ltd. India and General Aeronautics Pvt. Ltd., with the defined objective of developing precise crop management technologies for potato cultivation.

The project activity began in the first year after obtaining necessary permissions from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the local administration.

Trials at two locations for two years on agro‑chemical (fungicides, insecticides and weedicides) spraying using drones have demonstrated increased precision and efficiency with lower water requirements, reduced environmental hazards and no phytotoxicity in potato crops.

–IANS

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