Gangtok, June 25 : The Indian Army used a drone equipped with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), developed by Bhubaneswar-based startup BonV Aero, to help with rescue efforts after a major landslide in Lachen, Sikkim, earlier this month.
The GPR drone was deployed within 24 hours of the landslide in the high-altitude, hard-to-reach area, about 123 km from Gangtok. Traditional search methods like thermal cameras and dog units weren’t working effectively there.
BonV Aero’s drone flew over the unstable ground and successfully found two anomalies underground at depths of 0.76 meters and 0.015 meters. When rescue teams dug at these spots, they found human remains. This allowed them to focus their efforts instead of digging randomly.
Satyabarata Satapathy, CEO of BonV Aero, stated, “The Army’s timely decision to use our platform enabled focused rescue efforts. The response in Lachen shows how homegrown solutions can meet urgent needs anywhere in the country.”
The drone also sent real-time data to a digital map, helping ground teams coordinate precisely on-site. Because the GPR drone operated without physical contact, it significantly reduced the risk for rescue workers in the unstable environment.
BonV Aero’s CTO Abinash Sahoo added, “This UAV-based system overcomes limitations faced by conventional methods, providing critical data from the air in challenging terrain.”
The Army’s use of this advanced, domestically developed technology is a big step forward in using drones for humanitarian and disaster response in remote and difficult locations.
