The Punjab government has banned outdoor drone flights across the province for 30 days under Section 144, citing security concerns. The order was issued through a notification of the Punjab Home Department, and it applies to flights in open spaces throughout the province. The restrictions have been imposed by the Punjab Home Secretary under Section 144(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. This is not the first time that the measure has been put in place, since the Home Department extended the ban for periods of 30 days on several earlier occasions this year, and the latest order continues the same restriction for another month.
The notification contains several exemptions. Limited use of small drones will still be allowed for event coverage inside halls and marquees, and the organizers of such events will be responsible for ensuring that the drones are operated safely. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been exempted from the restrictions, which means that they can continue to use drones for their official work. These exemptions leave the general ban on outdoor flights in place, while allowing indoor event photography and the operations of the security institutions, and they place responsibility for safety on the organizers of indoor events.
The government will also establish district level Safe Drone Usage Committees, which will issue written permits for drone operations related to agriculture and research. Drones that operate with the written approval of a committee will be exempt from the ban. This arrangement provides a route for farmers and researchers who need to use drones, since they can apply to the committee in their district instead of being covered by the general prohibition, and the written permission serves as the condition under which an agricultural or research flight is treated as exempt.
District administrations and police across Punjab have been directed to ensure strict implementation of the orders. The notification gives the responsibility for enforcement to local authorities, who are expected to see that the outdoor ban is respected during the 30 days. For drone operators in the province, the practical position is that outdoor flights are not allowed unless they fall under one of the exemptions, and anyone who wishes to fly a drone for agriculture or research purposes must obtain written approval from the relevant district committee before doing so.
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