Drone technology helped VMC manage Vijayawada city better, says Mayor

Vijayawada Municipal Corporation utilizes drone technology for city management, including identifying black spots, mosquito breeding areas, and waste removal.

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has adopted drone technology for better management of the city, Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi has said.

“Be it for identifying black spots on roads, mosquito breeding points, drainage pile-up, vacant land in the city or monitoring sanitation management and anti-larvae operations, the civic body is using drone technology in a big way,” the Mayor said while briefing the media about the achievements of the corporation in 2024, at the VMC office on January 8, Wednesday.

Ms. Bhagyalakshmi said that the civic body used drones for surveillance and identification of the areas facing dog menace and undertook vaccination drives and birth control programmes for cannines.

“We have identified 17 mosquito breeding areas in the city. It is not possible to undertake anti-larvae operations at some places due to poor accessibility. We are using drones to carry out anti-larval insecticides in such areas,” Ms. Bhagayalakshmi said.

The civic body, she said, was using the technology for removing plastic waste from three canals in the city. Since July when Truxor machines were put to use till date, around 12,000 tonnes of waste has been removed from these canals. The machine was used to remove plastic waste from the Krishna river too.

She pointed out that the VMC took up various activities suggested by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs such as Swachhta Hi Seva, Swachh Diwali, Safai Apnao Bimari Bhagao, among others. She hoped that the city would get a good rank in the Swachh Survekshan Survey.

Giving details about the tax revenue for the financial year 2024-25, the Mayor said the VMC generated ₹160.23 crore until December 21, 2024, of which ₹109.24 crore was collected as property tax, ₹9.80 crore as tax on vacant land, ₹18.46 crore as water tax, ₹11 crore as sewarage rent tax and ₹6.59 crore as water meter charges.