Shimla: For the first time in Himachal Pradesh, the work of transporting apples to the market in Kinnaur will be done by drones. After the successful trial of apple transportation by drone last year, the private company will provide the facility to the orchardists this year.
The drone will take 8 minutes to cover 10 km of aerial distance with 5 boxes of 20 kg each. The proposed fare for this has been fixed at Rs 6 per kg.
Most of the apple orchards in Kinnaur are situated on the Kanda (top of the hill). There are no roads in remote areas, due to which the gardeners face difficulty in transporting the crop from the gardens to the main road. Where it takes more time to transport with laborers, at the same time more wages have to be paid.
Drones will solve these problems. Kinnaur produces 30 to 50 lakh boxes of apples annually. Himachal is the first state in the country to make a drone policy.
So far, medicines are being delivered to people in Mandi, Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti, and other remote areas by drones. Samples are also being called for health checkup.
In Kinnaur, drone services will be made available to orchardists for transporting apples from August. For this, a drone with a lifting capacity of 100 kg will be used.
The drone will cover 10 km aerial distance in 7 to 8 minutes. The proposed fare has been fixed at Rs. Although it can also be cut. Ankit Kumar, CEO, Sky Air
Successful trial took place last year
In November last year, a successful trial of transporting apples by drone took place in Nichar, Kinnaur.
In the Mann Ki Baat programme, PM Narendra Modi has mentioned about transporting apples from Kinnaur through drones.