200 drones for flood hotspots

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) is preparing 200 drones to be sent to flood hotspots to support and help rescue work by disaster management agencies during the monsoon season.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said the drones under the Special Emergency Drone Task Force initiative, coordinated by the Malaysia Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI), would ensure relief efforts could be extended to flood victims as soon as possible.

He said this when launching the task force in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur Global Drone Conference 2022 at Matrade Tower, Bernama reported.

Dr Adham said more than 20 companies and agencies had been identified as equipment sources for the initiative.

He said companies that qualify based on the availability of (drone) pilots and equipment would be trained and assigned to provide surveillance, monitoring and delivery services to identified hotspots.

In addition, he said his ministry had held initial discussions with rescue and enforcement agencies regarding the availability of the drones, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (Jupem), the Fire and Rescue Department and the Royal Malaysia Police.

At the end of last year, some 20 such task force units were deployed to several flood locations in Selangor to monitor and deliver basic supplies such as medicine, food and power banks, especially in areas that were difficult to reach.

Dr Adham said by using tactical drone technology, visuals from the air were obtained to help flood management agencies assess the current situation of areas affected by floods.

“Based on the experience gained when helping with flood relief operations at the end of last year, Mosti and MRANTI continue to try to find the best methods of operating drones during disasters, especially floods,” he said.