Chennai, Jul 31 (IANS): Power generation major NTPC Ltd has decided to use Garuda Aerospace's drones, among other things, to detect encroachments in its hydro power project areas, check on landslides, and identify leakages from reservoir/dam and wet spots, a top official of the drone company said on Friday.

The power major will also use the drones to identify illegal mining/unlawful intrusions, mine boundary encroachment and also for the detection of vegetation affecting solar power generation, among other things.

"The NTPC wants the drones to fly over its Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project, Uttrakhand; coal mine at Barkagaon, Jharkhand; solar power plant at Madhya Pradesh and the ash dyke at Vindhyachal in Madhya Pradesh," Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Managing Director of city-based Garuda Aerospace, told IANS.

Jayaprakash said that NTPC plans to use drone-enabled digital transformation services for digitisation, data collection, data analysis and report generation.

The power generation company had engaged Gaurda Aerospace to deploy its drones to establish the proof of concept for the above purposes.