Puri police have banned drones from flying around this famous 12th-century temple ahead of the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath.
New Delhi: Bhubaneswar: Flying of drones has been banned in its vicinity ahead of the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. The annual Rath Yatra is scheduled to take place on June 20.
Ahead of the Rath Yatra, the Puri Police has banned the flying of drones around this famous 12th-century temple. An official said that this ban will remain in force till July 1 and legal action will be taken against those who do not follow it.
The use of drones can be risky for devotees
A senior Puri police official said, “Uncontrolled use of drones by inexperienced people can put the devotees at risk. We had also taken legal action against some people who broke the rules earlier. He said that an advisory had been issued for the safety of Sri Mandir, Sri Gundicha Temple, and chariots of deities and devotees.
Jagannath Temple declared as a red zone area
The advisory states that per the provisions of the Drone Rules, 2021, the Shri Jagannath Temple has been declared a 'Red Zone' (prohibited area) and hence no one is allowed to fly the devices over the temple premises. It states that no operator shall fly a drone without a valid UIN (Unique Identification Number) issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
According to the order, the drone operators will be responsible for any incident like damage to any property or injury to anyone. It states, “Any violation of drone rules is punishable. Earlier also a YouTuber was arrested by the Puri police for violating the provisions of flying a drone.