Nepal turns to drones to deliver flood relief

Devighat: As roads and bridges lay in ruins, Nepal's military is relying on drones to deliver relief to those displaced by last month's devastating floods. At least 1,367 lives have been lost and over 5,000 are still missing following the breakage of a Himalayan glacier near the Nepal-China border in late August. With most helicopters occupied in rescue efforts, drones have emerged as the most viable solution for transporting food, essential supplies, medicine, and fuel.

Santosh Budhathoki, a contract drone pilot for the Nepal army, stated that drones are the optimal choice due to their capability to operate over distances of 3 to 4 kilometres and carry up to 60 kilogrammes at a time. The army currently dispatches around 10-16 aid deliveries daily using a fleet of four donated DJI FlyCart 100 drones from China.

Apart from delivering aid, drones have also been employed to transport the bodies of flood victims in certain affected regions while reconnaissance drones have played a crucial role in search and rescue operations. Operating at an early hour, Milan Pandey of the drone operating company, Airlift Technology, remarked that drones prove to be faster, quicker, and more cost-effective in Nepal's challenging geography and terrain.