LUCKNOW, Feb. 10 -- The Lucknow Police are taking to the skies to combat the menace of killer kite strings. Days after back-to-back incidents left victims seriously injured in the state capital, drones are being deployed to hunt down offenders using illegal manjha, with a special focus on the city's western zone. On the first day, the police also checked areas like Chowk, Bazarkhala amd Thakurganj. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is capable of monitoring an area spanning over 8,000 metres and can fly at altitudes of up to 850 metres and above, which is as high as a 200-storey building. Equipped with a powerful location-tagging system and hybrid zoom imaging, these drones can clearly identify individuals and trace their exact location, said city-based robotics expert Milind Raj, popularly known as the 'Drone Man of India'. He has collaborated with the Lucknow police for the initiative. "The area of western zone is very dense, it is not possible to trace from which house a kite is being flown. By using advanced drones, the GPS location of kite flyers' houses will be traced and after searching their houses, action can be taken against those using banned Chinese manjha," said DCP (west) Vishwajeet Srivastava. Raj said the drone system, named 'Roboz Tarkash UAV', has been specifically developed to curb the growing threat posed by illegal kite strings. "The body of these drones is made of carbon fibre so that they are not damaged by sharp manjha," he added. On Monday, police personnel were seen testing surveillance drones at Rumi Gate police outpost in the presence of deputy commissioner of police (west) Vishwajeet Srivastava. The western zone reported the highest number of manjha-related incidents in recent days. Officials said the instant tagging of coordinates allows police teams on the ground to swiftly reach the exact spot identified by the UAV, making enforcement quicker and more effective. "This technology uses a combination of hybrid imaging devices and a ground control station system. It has been designed to crack down on miscreants who do not abide by the law. The system scans rooftops, records faces and identifies people flying kites in restricted areas. It generates concrete digital evidence, which can be used for further legal action," Raj added. The drones have been deployed in two different variants. While one is designed for long-range monitoring, the second version is smaller and faster, capable of flying at speeds of 80-100 km per hour to reach targeted locations within seconds....