Small Aeroplanes, Helicopters, and Drones (SAHD): A Governance Tool to Touch the Lives of the Common Man

Introduction

India is a vast nation of varied terrains—towering mountains, dense jungles, meandering rivers, and sparsely connected valleys. While the Indian government and state administrations have invested heavily in highways, rural roads, and railways, a large proportion of villages remain cut off during monsoons, landslides, or snow. In states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, governance suffers not due to lack of intent, but due to lack of access.

In such areas, Small Aeroplanes, Helicopters, and Drones (SAHD) can emerge as transformative governance tools. No longer restricted to military or elite use, these aerial platforms can be harnessed for healthcare, justice delivery, infrastructure building, disaster management, policing, and tourism. Each state must therefore formulate and institutionalize an SAHD Aviation Department to systematically integrate aerial assets into governance.

This article examines the practical applications of SAHD, supported by case studies, operational models, and an assessment of its potential impact on the lives of ordinary citizens.

1. Healthcare in the Skies

Flying Doctors and Air Ambulances

Remote villages often lack doctors and hospitals. Helicopters equipped with basic medical supplies can serve as Mobile Clinics, where doctors periodically land in villages to conduct check-ups, administer vaccines, and treat patients.

During emergencies, air ambulances—both helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft—can evacuate critically ill patients to tertiary hospitals. For instance:

• In Uttarakhand, a critical patient from a remote village in Pithoragarh district can be flown to Dehradun in under an hour instead of a 15-hour hazardous road journey by a returning Flying Doctor.
• In Arunachal Pradesh, a pregnant woman facing complications can be airlifted to Pasighat or Itanagar by a returning flying doctor or a small aircraft arranged specially for medivac.

Medivac Operations Using Small Fixed-Wing Aircraft & Helicopters

Where advanced landing grounds (ALGs) of the Indian Air Force exist such as Pasighat, Mechuka, or Kargil, a small fixed-wing aircraft like the KingAir B200 can operate. These can ferry not just patients but also doctors, medicines, and equipment. At other places, helicopters can do an excellent job in Medivac with vertical lift capabilities.

Drone-Based Medical Logistics

Drones have already been tested for delivery of vaccines, blood, and essential drugs. They can cross rivers, forests, and mountains in minutes. A state-run drone medical network could ensure that Primary Health Centres (PHCs) never run out of life-saving drugs.

Impact: Reduced maternal mortality, faster treatment of life-threatening incidents and accidents, and improved vaccination coverage—all leading to better health indicators.

2. Forest Surveillance and Wildlife Protection

Anti-Encroachment and Fire Surveillance

Encroachment in forests and illegal logging are rampant in states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Drones can patrol difficult forest terrain, transmitting live video to forest departments. Similarly, during summer months, drones equipped with thermal cameras can detect forest fires early, preventing large-scale destruction.

Wildlife Monitoring with Veterinary Teams

Helicopters can ferry veterinary doctors to remote forest posts, where elephants, rhinos, or tigers may require tranquilization, medical aid, or relocation. Drones can track animal movements and prevent human-animal conflict.

Impact: Preservation of biodiversity, protection of endangered species, and prevention of illegal activities in forests.

3. Flying Judiciary and Mobile Policing

Access to justice is one of the most neglected aspects in remote regions. Villagers often walk for days to attend court hearings. This results in justice delayed, which is justice denied.

Flying Magistrates

Helicopters or small aircraft carrying a magistrate, clerks, and police personnel can land in remote villages periodically to conduct hearings, resolve land disputes, or record statements. This concept of a Flying Court ensures that justice physically reaches the last mile.

Flying Policing Units

In conflict-prone or insurgency-hit areas, helicopters can carry police officers for quick investigations, patrols, and maintaining law and order. Drones, on the other hand, can monitor protests, gatherings, and border villages.

Impact: Strengthened faith of citizens in the justice system, reduction in case pendency, and improved law and order in neglected areas.

4. Infrastructure Building and Maintenance

Alignment Surveys for Roads, Bridges, and Powerlines

Surveying in mountainous regions is often slow and expensive. Drones equipped with LiDAR sensors can map terrain for new roads, powerlines, and bridges within weeks. Helicopters can assist in aerial reconnaissance, drastically reducing survey times.

Construction Logistics

During road and bridge construction in hilly terrain, helicopters can airlift construction material, while drones can deliver small components. This prevents delays caused by blocked roads or lack of access.

Surveillance and Maintenance Post-Completion

Once infrastructure is in place, drones can continuously monitor for cracks in bridges, powerline faults, or landslides that affect roads.

Impact: Faster infrastructure rollout, reduced costs, and longer asset life.

5. Search and Rescue in Natural Calamities

Almost every monsoon, Indian states witness landslides, cloudbursts, floods, and road collapses. Helicopters and drones can play a life-saving role.

• Helicopters: Evacuate stranded villagers, drop food packets, and rescue mountaineers.
• Fixed-Wing Aircraft: Move large relief consignments between state capitals and forward airstrips.
• Drones: Provide real-time imagery of flood-affected areas, locate survivors trapped on rooftops, and guide rescue teams.

Case in point: During the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, helicopters played a pivotal role in saving thousands of lives, but operations were ad-hoc. With a dedicated SAHD department, such responses could be institutionalized.

6. Boosting Tourism

Tourism is a key livelihood in states like Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. SAHD can play a catalytic role:

• Helicopter Safaris: Short aerial circuits around valleys and snow peaks.
• Small Aircraft Shuttles: Connecting smaller towns with metros.
• Drones: Capturing aerial imagery for promoting eco-tourism.

Impact: Boosted local employment, increased revenue, and better connectivity for tourists.

7. Drones for Policing and Governance

Drones are already being used by police in cities like Delhi and Hyderabad. Their applications in rural, mountainous states are even more critical:

• Monitoring illegal mining.
• Tracking protests or insurgent activities.
• Monitoring traffic bottlenecks on highways.
• Crowd control during festivals and yatras.

Beyond policing, drones can also assist in governance monitoring—checking if roads, schools, and hospitals sanctioned under schemes are truly functional.

8. Need for a State-Level SAHD Aviation Department

For all the above applications to work seamlessly, each state must institutionalize a dedicated aviation unit.

Key Features of the SAHD Department:

• Fleet Composition: Mix of small aircraft, helicopters, and drones.
• Command Structure: Headed by a senior officer reporting to the Chief Secretary.
• Integration: Works with health, forest, judiciary, police, tourism, and disaster management departments.
• Training: Pilots, drone operators, and maintenance engineers trained in government academies.
• PPP Models: Collaboration with private helicopter and drone companies under government oversight.

Conclusion

The accurate measure of governance lies in how effectively it reaches the remotest citizen. Small aeroplanes, helicopters, and drones are not luxuries but essential tools for modern governance in India’s challenging states. From delivering medicines to rescuing flood victims, from enabling justice to preserving forests, SAHD has the potential to transform lives.

State governments must recognize this opportunity and invest in building SAHD aviation departments as multipurpose governance arms. The cost of inaction is far higher—continued isolation of citizens, delayed justice, preventable deaths, and lost economic opportunities.

The sky, quite literally, can become the pathway of governance.

Also posted on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sky-pathway-governance-sanjeev-choudhary-nmbic/