Due to the popularity of drones increasing all over the world, tourists are often caught flying drones in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. On November 20, 2019, five Russian tourists and their driver were taken into custody by the Agra police for flying a drone camera near Mehtab Bagh across the Yamuna. This was done from less than 500m away from the Taj Mahal. Unlike earlier when the tourists just had to write a written apology, the police can now register criminal cases against the tourists.
“There have been many incidents of tourists being caught flying drones around the Taj Mahal this year. Thus, until the administration makes sure that prominent warnings against flying drones around the Taj are posted everywhere in the restricted zone, there should be no strict enforcement of the rule and the tourists be allowed to leave after they have tendered a written apology,” said Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber President Prahalad Agarwal.
Taj Mahal: A No-Fly Zone
Later when the police arrived on the scene, the drone was also taken into custody with the tourists and the driver. Thus, awareness regarding the prohibition of flying drones within 500 m of the Taj Mahal was increased. As of now, Taj Security Circle Officer said that they have asked the hoteliers in Agra to make arrangements to brief the visitors about the no-flying zone law around the Taj Mahal. The tourism police will also circulate pamphlets and install warning signs of the prohibition order in five different languages, including Russian, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, and English.
According to the reports visitors from Korea, Russia, China, India, and America have been involved in violating the above-mentioned laws. Referring to this recent incident, an official from the Archaeological Survey of India stated some guidelines in a 52-sec animation film. This film educates people about dos and don’ts in the Taj Mahal, will be played at the entry points of the monument. Further, visuals have also been put up to informs tourists that arms, ammunition, and drones are strictly prohibited inside the monument.
