KATHMANDU: Switzerland has provided Nepal with a specialised advanced drone to strengthen search and rescue operations inside tunnels at hydropower projects and other high-risk sites.
The drone was handed over to the Nepal Electricity Authority following a special initiative by the Secretariat of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha. It was manufactured by Swiss drone company Flyability and is designed for human rescue operations and inspection of hazardous structures.
Swiss humanitarian assistance experts handed the drone to representatives of the Nepal Electricity Authority. The drone is specifically designed to search and inspect dark, narrow and hazardous tunnels that are difficult for people to enter.
It is equipped with a protective cage that allows it to continue operating even after colliding with tunnel walls, rocks or other structures.
The technology is expected to help rescue teams assess potential risks, gather information about people trapped inside tunnels and develop appropriate rescue strategies by providing a real-time view of conditions inside.
According to the Nepal Electricity Authority, the drone will allow rescuers to identify potential hazards before entering a tunnel, making rescue operations safer and more effective in difficult conditions.
As accidents and disasters in hydropower tunnels and other underground structures pose significant challenges to search and rescue teams, the use of such advanced technology has been regarded as an important development.
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