Metro
NSCDC to test run drone to monitor pipelines
It seems government has found a new way to tackle pipeline vandalisation in the country as the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it would soon deploy drones in a test-run to monitor large areas of landmass which have pipelines running across it.
The drones are outfitted with infrared cameras, and designed to document evidence of vandalism.
NSCDC Commandant General, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu who made this known in Abuja while speaking to newsmen said the agency took this bold step to be in line with the change crusade of Mr. President.
In 2014 Nigeria reportedly lost over N1.2 trillion to oil theft. The government continues to incur heavy costs in a bid to repair vandalised pipelines and at the end of 2014, recorded losses of 50,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil daily.
Read also: Civil Defence gets new commandant
NSCDC will test the new technology to catch perpetrators in action. “We must find new ways to fight vandalism,” the NSCDC boss said.
According to him, the new drone, outfitted with an infrared camera and the NSCDC’s logo, will use GPS to document the times and places where vandals are observed, making it easier to prosecute offenders.
Flying at an altitude of some 150 meters (492 feet), it will be able to keep watch for more than 80 minutes at a time, quietly whizzing through the sky at up to 54 kilometers (33 miles) per hour. It can also be put on autopilot function for stretches as long as 40 kilometers, the CG assured.
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