Bengaluru: Concerned by the increasing use of aerial drones for photography by people in sensitive and prohibited areas of the state like its reservoirs, the government has ordered Karnataka Industrial Security Force (KISF) to shoot them down should it come across them and book those responsible for flying them.
Being particularly anxious about the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam in the wake of threats from the LTTE to blow it up in protest against the state’s refusal to release water to Tamil Nadu, it is no mood to have its security compromised by drones used by tourists.
Only recently, KISF seized a drone operated by a couple visiting the KRS dam and registered a case against them for taking photographs in a prohibited area.
“I have instructed the officers in charge of the dam’s safety to take immediate action in such cases. We will not let anyone to violate rules at any cost,” Water Resources Minister, M B Patil told the DC.
Warning that those holding night long parties on river beds of dams would not be spared, he said officials responsible for allowing such activity would face action. In fact,, a case was recently registered against a Bengaluru based event management company for holding a tea party in a restricted area, according to sources.
A senior officer of the Kaveri Niravari Nigam said like the KRS, other dams too could soon be provided round the clock security by the KISF. “We plan to deploy the force at other major dams in the Cauvery basin like Kabini, Harangi, Hemavathi, Nugu and Yagachi as a precaution. Also a Rs 59 crore estimate has been prepared to provide permanent infrastructure for guarding the Cauvery basin reservoirs,” he revealed, adding that the security of all the dams in the basin was being reviewed regularly.
