"It is further ordered that persons already having the drone cameras/similar quite Unmanned Aerial Vehicles within the ir possession shall ground an equivalent in the local police headquarters under proper receipt", Ajaz said within the order.
It also said that government departments using drones for mapping, surveys and surveillance in "agricultural, environment conservation and disaster mitigation" sectors will need to inform the local police before undertaking any such activity within the public interest. "Any violation of this order shall attract punitive action as warranted under relevant laws", he said.
Earlier in the week , the borderland of Rajouri and Kathua issued similar orders and banned the operation of drones and low flying objects in their territories.
On Sunday, two explosions were reported from the Indian Air Force station in Jammu within minutes of every in an unprecedented unmanned attack, injuring two security personnel and damaging a building. Security forces thwarted an identical attack within 24 hours as they opened fire on unidentified drones hovering over the Kaluchak military base in Jammu. Several such sightings have reported over military bases within the region.
Initial investigations into Sunday’s attack have pointed to the role of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) within the drone strike at a Jammu air force station.
This is the primary time that drones are getting used in an attack on a serious defence installation within the country, consistent with experts.
And on Thursday, Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said the simple availability of drones has allowed both state and non-state actors to use them and building them was almost like a “DIY project that would be tackled at home”.
