Centre Permits Telangana To Use Drones For Delivery of Covid Vaccines

India has been hit hard by a second wave of the novel coronavirus infection, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a severe shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds.

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Friday permitted the Telangana government to use drones for experimental delivery of vaccines beyond the visual line of sight. India has been hit hard by a second wave of the novel coronavirus infection, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a severe shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds. On April 30, the ministry had permitted the Telangana government to use drones for experimental delivery of COVID-19 vaccines within the visual line of sight. The ministry said in a statement on Friday that it has granted conditional exemption to the Telangana government from the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021, for "conducting experimental delivery of vaccines" beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) using drones.