Chandigarh/ Panchkula, June 13 -- With an aim to help farmers and prevent crop losses, the Haryana government has decided to use drones as a pilot project to monitor crop health and detect diseases. A slew of decisions were taken regarding the diverse applications of drone technology in the state in a meeting of the board of directors of Drone Imaging and Information Services of Haryana Limited (DRIISHYA) held on Thursday under the chairmanship of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini. The crops such as potatoes, chickpeas, cotton, paddy, and vegetables, typically prone to diseases, will be included in the pilot phase, a government spokesperson said. Acting on the government's target to train 5,000 women in drone technology under the "Drone Didi Yojana", the CM directed the DRIISHYA officers to prepare an action plan to train around 500 women in the next quarter. The objective of this initiative is to technically empower women and provide them with self-employment opportunities. DRIISHYA CEO Phool Kumar informed that the agency is presently involved in activities such as HT power line inspections, large-scale mapping, disaster management, traffic monitoring, illegal mining surveillance and crop health monitoring. Under the large-scale mapping project, more than 6,100 square kilometres have been covered and about 680 kilometres of 21 HT power lines have been successfully inspected, with several technical faults detected and corrected in time. The officials said that about 243 candidates have been trained at the Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) in Karnal for UAV flight training. The CM was informed that DRIISHYA plans to expand the use of drones in areas such as illegal mining detection, disaster management, traffic surveillance, and identification of unauthorised constructions, based on the needs of different departments. Haryana chief minister (CM) Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated a state-level exhibition showcasing the central government's achievements over the past 11 years under PM Narendra Modi's leadership at the PWD rest house here on Thursday. The CM emphasised that the exhibition isn't just a display, but a compelling narrative of "Changing India's development". He described it as a "Saga of the country's development", meticulously crafted under PM Modi's guidance, highlighting progress across various sectors. The exhibition, themed "Sankalp se Siddhi" (from resolve to achievement), particularly illustrates the significant surge in infrastructure projects and advancements in other departments through diverse visual presentations....