In September last week, rain-induced disasters devastated dozens of districts, including Kavrepalanchok, a hill district of Bagmati Province, causing a huge loss of life and property. Hundreds of families were displaced and critical infrastructure destroyed. In their wake, the government has intensified relief efforts by declaring scores of local units of the affected districts, including eight local units of Kavrepalanchok, as ‘disaster crisis zones’.

However, relief distribution hit a snag due to geographical remoteness and road blockages caused by floods and landslides. Hundreds of families rendered homeless by the disaster are left in a lurch due to delay in relief distribution.

In light of the urgency of providing immediate reliefs to these remote areas, authorities have started using sophisticated drones to take supplies to Magargaun in ward 12 of Panauti Municipality.

The settlement, which was ravaged by floods and landslides after relentless rains on September 27 and 28, has been cut off with the rest of the country. According to the local unit, around 300 families in the ward have been without electricity, communication and drinking water.

Hami Nepal, a non-profit, on Sunday started transporting relief materials to Magargaun by flying a drone from Kalanti. “This is a drone designed for transport purposes in remote areas and costs around Rs10 million. It is useful especially during disasters,” said Sudan Gurung, chairman of the organisation. According to him, the use of a drone in Kavrepalanchok to transport relief materials is the first of its kind in Nepal.

The roads connecting various settlements in ward 12 of Panauti remain blocked and it may take a few more days to restore transportation in the area.

“We visited the Magargaun area three days ago and assessed the condition. We realized that the children and the senior citizens are in dire need of relief. So we decided to use drones to transport supplies,” said Gurung. “We got permission from the district administration office and the district disaster management committee to operate the drone and transport relief materials. We carried out a test flight with certified operators and started supplying the relief materials.”

According to Gurung, the transport drone was imported from China and is being operated with the technical help from Airlift Technology, a Kathmandu-based firm.

“At around 3 pm on Sunday, we sent 35 kg of supplies including food, drinking water and relief materials for children. A team of volunteers in Magargaun received the relief materials and distributed them to affected families. Our effort to transport relief materials through drones has been a success,” said Gurung.

The drone can transport goods over a distance of 4 to 5 kilometres. “This drone is operated by a chargeable battery and can be used throughout the day or until the battery drains out. If its battery runs out mid-flight, it makes a safe landing,” said Gurung, adding that this kind of drone can be useful especially in geographically remote areas during disasters.

Hami Nepal was established in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquakes with the objective of rescuing victims and providing relief during natural disasters.

On Sunday, the organisation transported around 600 kg relief materials to the disaster hit-area in Kavrepalancok using a drone. The drone made 30 flights on the day.

“The Gorkha earthquake caused a massive loss of lives and property. But relief materials could not be supplied to the affected areas on time due to geographical challenges. Modern technology has made relief distribution much easier,” said Gurung.

Authorities have expressed their gratitude for the use of the drone in transporting relief materials to areas cut off by floods and landslides. “The use of new technology to transport and distribute relief to those in need is commendable,” said Chief District Officer of Kavre Umesh Dhakal, who is also the coordinator of the district disaster management committee.