The Solapur Police has deployed eight ideaForge Q6 V2 drones to support crowd management and surveillance during the Pandharpur Wari, an annual pilgrimage that attracted more than 3 million (30 lakh) devotees this year.
The drones are being used for aerial surveillance, crowd monitoring and public announcements along the pilgrimage’s 250-kilometre route to Pandharpur. Each drone is equipped with a megaphone, enabling police personnel to issue real-time instructions to pilgrims and respond to congestion or safety concerns.
This is the second consecutive year that ideaForge has supported aerial surveillance for the pilgrimage. The deployment was carried out in collaboration with channel partner Bluesky Amida Pvt. Ltd. under the guidance of the Solapur Rural Police.
As part of the deployment, AI-based video analytics have been integrated into the live drone feeds to support automated crowd monitoring. ideaForge said it is also providing telemetry, backend infrastructure and live video streaming through its BlueFire Live platform to enable real-time situational awareness in the police control room.
The Pandharpur Wari is an annual pilgrimage spanning about 21 days, during which devotees walk approximately 250 kilometres to the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur. The large, continuously moving gathering presents challenges for crowd management and public safety.
“This year, we’re returning as a partner the police department already knows and trusts,” said Ashesh Mathur, Assistant General Manager – Sales, ideaForge Technology Limited, adding that the deployment builds on operational experience gained during last year’s pilgrimage.