Drone surveillance deployed for Jubilee Hills bypoll

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Hyderabad District Election Officer Kote Vijay Bhaskar Reddy launched an advanced drone surveillance system on Monday at the Yousufguda Stadium, ahead of the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election.

The project aims to ensure that the entire election process is closely monitored - transparently, fairly, and efficiently. A total of 139 drones will be deployed to cover 407 polling stations across the constituency.

Officials said the drones will fly at a height that allows real-time monitoring of polling stations, surrounding roads, and voter movement routes. The live aerial footage will help authorities keep an eye on the situation throughout polling day.

Through this technology, election officers can instantly detect any irregularities - including attempts at malpractice, violence, or crowd disturbances - and respond immediately.

According to officials, this initiative follows strict security and operational standards. Telangana is implementing such large-scale drone monitoring for elections for the first time, and its success could pave the way for similar use in other districts in the future.