“I have 10 acres, and it takes a whole day to spray pesticide. This drone can do the same task in an hour,” says Sowmya, a resident of Varni in Nizamabad district who attended a drone show on a large open field surrounded by corn on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
She is among the hundreds of women in Telangana and the rest of the country who have been promised an agricultural drone, which, they say, they can use to serve the farming community. “Moreover, it is difficult to find people to work in farms as many are moving to cities. I will use it [the drone] on my farm and then will help other farmers,” Sowmya adds.
These women are confident that they can change agriculture for the better in the State and improve the lives of farmers. While drones are often thought of as light objects that fly and perform various tasks, the agriculture drones are cumbersome machines. In the air, however, one drone can complete in a matter of minutes what 10 persons can do in a whole day.
The drone, manufactured by Dhaksha Unmanned Systems Private Limited, is a battery-powered hexacopter with payload capacity of 10 kg and a range of 2 km. A failsafe mechanism ensures that the drone returns home.
The saving in labour is not the only benefit of using drones to spray pesticides and fertilisers. Farmers across the country are being exposed to high levels of pesticides owing to unscientific mixing of potent chemicals and an absence of safety equipment.
According to a paper in a scientific journal, there were 8,040 cases of pesticide poisoning in just one district of Warangal between 1997 and 2002. A similar disaster unfolded in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district in 2017 when 21 farmers and farmhands died after spraying pesticides in cotton fields.
Spraying pesticides using a drone, on the other hand, is easy. “I map the path of the drone on the cellphone and attach it to the remote control. Once the drone is airborne, it follows the coordinates to spray [the pesticides]. It stays in the air for 10 minutes, but the air time is dependent on the payload,” says Rani, who hails from Chatlapalli in Siddipet district. She is part of a self-help group.
“I have learnt how to mix the pesticide. We have two acres where we grow cotton and paddy. If this technology is to be adopted, I will have to prepare the farmers to adopt this technology,” she adds.
The drone show in the agricultural field was a mock drill meant as a photo-op coordinated by an event organiser. Minutes after showcasing her skills flying drones, Varalakshmi, another attendee, says she can fly the drones to shoot weddings as well if she was given training.
The 100-odd women who are likely to get the drones for free so that they can improve their livelihood are optimistic about the change the machines are likely to bring about. Will these women herald another agricultural revolution? That’s the big question.
