OPERATION OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM

19. Airspace map. – The Central Government will publish on the digital sky platform, an airspace map for unmanned aircraft system operations segregating the entire airspace of India into red zone, yellow zone and green zone, with a horizontal resolution equal or finer than 10 meters.

20. Interactive maps. – The airspace map for unmanned aircraft system operations shall be so designed as to be programmatically accessible through a machine readable Application Programming Interface and interactive so that unmanned aircraft system pilots shall be able to plot their proposed flight plan and easily identify the zone within which it falls so as to assess whether or not they need to make an application for prior approval.

21. Mandatory pre-flight verification of zonal restrictions.–– Before commencing an unmanned aircraft system operation, a remote pilot shall mandatorily verify the digital sky platform for any notification or restriction applicable to unmanned aircraft system operations in the intended area of operation.

22. Requirement of prior permission.––(1) No person shall operate an unmanned aircraft system in a red zone or yellow zone without prior permission.

(2) No prior permission shall be required for operating an unmanned aircraft system in a green zone, subject to the provisions of rule 21.

23. Dynamic nature of zoning.–– The Central Government may update the airspace map on digital sky platform for unmanned aircraft system operations from time to time in order to change the status of an area from one zone to another and such change shall come into effect no sooner than seven days after the date of such update.

24. Temporary Red Zone.–– (1) If there is an urgent need to temporarily prohibit unmanned aircraft system flights in any specified area, the concerned State Government or the Union Territory Administration or a law enforcement agency may declare a temporary red zone over such specified area, for a period not exceeding ninety six hours at a time, by notifying it through the digital sky platform and highlighting it on the airspace map.

(2) The temporary red zone shall be declared by an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police or his equivalent and such officer shall endeavour to keep the size of the temporary red zone reasonable and not excessive. 

(3) An endeavour shall be made to inform, through digital sky platform or other electronic means, to all holders of unique identification number who are within a distance of five kilometre from the perimeter of the temporary red zone, of the restriction so declared under sub-rule (1), but in case no such information is received, it shall not absolve a remote pilot of the responsibility to verify the zonal restrictions on the digital sky platform before commencing an unmanned aircraft system operation. 

25.         Access to digital sky platform.—The nodal officers of State Governments, Union Territory Administrations and law enforcement agencies shall be provided direct access to the digital sky platform.  

26.         Safe operation.–– No person shall operate an unmanned aircraft system in a manner, either directly or indirectly, as to endanger the safety and security of any person or property.

27.         Prohibition on carriage of arms, ammunition, explosives and military stores, etc.— No person shall carry or cause or permit to be carried in any unmanned aircraft to, from, within or over India, any arms, ammunitions, munitions of war, implements of war, explosives and military stores, except with the written permission of the Central Government or any other person authorised by the Central Government in this behalf and  subject to the terms and conditions of such permission.

28.         Carriage of dangerous goods.— No person shall carry dangerous goods on unmanned aircraft unless such operation is in compliance with the Aircraft (Carriage of Dangerous Goods) Rules, 2003.

29.         Right of way. – No person operating an unmanned aircraft system shall violate the right of way of a manned aircraft and shall remain clear of all manned aircrafts.

30.         Mandatory reporting of an accident.–– No later than forty-eight hours after an accident involving an unmanned aircraft system takes place, the remote pilot of such unmanned aircraft system shall report the accident to the Director General through the digital sky platform.