The Edo State Flood Erosion Watershed Management Agency (Edo FEWMA) has acquired a 25km-reach capacity drone to improve topographical mapping, land administration and erosion control.
The Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Dr. Tom Obaseki, disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, Edo State. He said the centre now has a drone that can reach a distance of about 25km and stay in the air for 55 minutes before changing its batteries.
Obaseki said: “The drone has an interchangeable gimbal that can carry up to three different sensors at a time, carry a LIDAR sensor for topographical mapping in thick vegetation. It can also carry out mapping of the floor of river beds, analyse crop health, has a high precision GNSS/GPS device for engineering designs and measurements, as well as night vision sensor for security and surveillance.”
He added: “The drone can capture the entire city and give the exact measurement of land occupied for tax revenue generation and land administration. With its night vision capability, the drone can help security personnel carry out surveillance at night, tackle kidnapping and random banditry activities, facilitate the inspection of transmission lines and pipelines and enhance oil spill investigations.”
The FEWMA boss said the centre would make the work process for engineers and other professionals easier.
“For example, designs that would normally take weeks or months to do can be done in a matter of hours using drone technology, which can reach places otherwise difficult or dangerous for humans,” he said.