Gujarat Police to use UAV for security during `Run for Unity` marathon

Vadodara: Vadodara police is planning to deploy an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to keep an eye on the `Run for Unity` marathon to be inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on December 15.

"The five km route of marathon passes through various sensitive areas of the city. Therefore, we are planning to use UAV with a powerful camera that can capture the entire area from above and close-up from 200 metres," City Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said here today. At least 2,500 policemen and home guards, apart from six companies of State Reserve Police have been called to provide security, he said. Vadodara District Collector Vinod Rao said, "It will be a unique event and we expect more than 1.85 lakh people to participate in the marathon. This will be a record in itself." About 30,000 online registrations have been received for this event by Vadodara Municipal Corporation. All the arrangements have been made at the huge Navlakhi compound located in the middle of the city for parking 20,000 vehicles and 5 000 two wheelers, he said. Modi`s effort to start a movement to collect iron for the Statue of Unity will be launched along with the event and it is scheduled to be completed before January 26, 2014. 565 districts across the country including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Pune are the major cities gearing up for the event on Sunday.