Day 38: Joka – We are Near an International Border

When it comes to working with drones, there is some level of sensitivity that has to be taken care of. Drones come under Ministry of Aviation, means it is a sensitive topic. Moreover, the military is also involved to some extent since it has to ensure there is no misuse of the drones in terms of hampering the national security. So, when it comes to using drones near international borders, it becomes a different issue altogether.

Lucky for us, we ensured everything was in place for our demonstrations so that we did not have to disappoint the farmers. Welcome to Day 1 in West Bengal. We are headed towards the village of Joka where a paddy field is waiting for us. West Bengal is a state known for its Mangrove swamps and being blessed with substantial rainfall, making paddy a major crop in the region.

Our demo location here was located just 5 kms from the Bangladesh border, thus the need to get additional permissions, which thanks to the swift work of the local teams, we did. We reached the demo location, set up and then went ahead with our briefing and demonstration. A lot of farmers had gotten their children to the demonstration as they are the next generation expected to take over the farming operations later on and they should know what is new in agriculture. When we proceeded with the demonstration, the excited kids cheered us on, making it a wonderful experience for everyone present there.

We later proceeded with the Q&A where the farmers voiced how they were worried, the air from the fans would make the paddy crop lay down and would result in loss of crop. When they experienced the demonstration, their worries were cleared and they were happy with the results. It is definitely expected to reduce the efforts of the farmers, as well as ensure their crops are not damaged in the process.

We now move to Burdwan for our day 2 in West Bengal, stay tuned!