Nepali rescue workers testing aid delivery by drone ( The New York Times)
Around 181 people were involved by Saturday in an emergency mapping exercise led by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, which is working with Nepal Prime Minister’s Office and local partners.
“Today we have a plan of doing the same or more,” he said. “We are doing surveillance of the dead bodies and people who are stranded around the forests,” Pokhrel said. Pokhrel said fibre-optic and network cables are being tied to drones and flown across rivers to hills on the opposite side, allowing damaged links to be reconnected where crossings have disappeared. “We are sending the fibre-optics cable and network cables through the river while tying it to the drone and taking it to another hill,” he said, adding that internet disruption extends beyond the immediate flood-hit region towards Gorkha. Pokhrel said authorities tightened flight rules after two drone pilots came dangerously close to a helicopter, disrupting operations. “The main goal is to support rescue and recovery operations by providing accurate data to the teams working on the ground,” Kshitij Sharma, product owner at HOT, said.
The cargo drones have been ferrying rice, instant noodles, clothing, sanitary pads and other relief supplies into cut-off areas. The thermal drones have another role. “Our main focus currently is search and rescue and flood relief programmes with drones. The machines are also being used to restore communications. But the rapid proliferation of drones has also created risks in an airspace crowded with rescue helicopters. Nepalese in the US, Europe, Australia, Gulf and elsewhere, alongside global mapping volunteers, are studying satellite imagery from home to help map the flood zone.
Light rain on Monday slowed the work of attaching packages to the drones with ropes and carabiners before they could be flown across the broken terrain. Pokhrel said his team transported around 500kg of relief supplies on Sunday alone.