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Drone Rules for Jim Corbett National Park

Bail Parao, Uttarakhand (UK) • Índia
86XF+3QG Jim Corbett National Park, Ramnagar - Nainital Road, Mankanth Pur, Bail Parao, Ramnagar, Uttarakhand 263140, Índia
Lat: 29.3477 • Lng: 79.2244
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 28, 2026
Summary
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Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Jim Corbett National Park under Indian regulations, controlled by the Uttarakhand Forest Department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without explicit permits from the park director and Directorate General of Civil Aviation

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
  • Commercial: ❌ Not allowed without Forest Dept + DGCA dual permit
  • Tiger Reserve: ⚠️ Project Tiger zone — absolute disturbance ban
  • Core zone: ⚠️ No human activity permitted whatsoever

Geographic Boundaries

Jim Corbett National Park is located in Nainital and Pauri Garhwal Districts, Uttarakhand, India.

  • Total area: ~520 km² (core) / ~1,318 km² (with buffer)
  • Coordinates: 29.5300° N, 78.7747° E
  • Includes Dhikala zone, Bijrani zone, Jhirna zone, Ramganga River corridor, and Corbett Tiger Reserve buffer
  • Nearest city: Ramnagar, UK (~1 km from main gate)

Regulations

  • Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (India) — Section 35 prohibits any activity disturbing wildlife in national parks; UAS overflight constitutes disturbance under WPA guidelines
  • The Drone Rules 2021 (India, MCA3.0) — DGCA mandates UAS registration on Digital Sky Platform; Green/Yellow/Red zone framework; national parks designated Red Zones
  • Environment Protection Act 1986 — MoEFCC authority over protected area activities
  • Project Tiger Directive — National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) prohibits all motorized equipment in tiger reserve core
  • Forest Conservation Act 1980 — prohibits use of forest land for non-forest activities without Central Government approval
  • Airspace: Red Zone (no-fly) within 5 km of park boundary per DGCA Digital Sky Platform

Penalties

  • WPA Section 51: imprisonment up to 7 years + fines up to INR 25,000 for wildlife disturbance
  • Drone Rules 2021: fines up to INR 1,00,000 per violation
  • Red Zone violation: immediate grounding + criminal charges
  • Equipment confiscation by Forest Department officials
  • NTCA penalties for tiger reserve core zone violations

Special Permissions

  • DGCA Digital Sky Platform Green Zone clearance required
  • Forest Department Director written permit
  • NTCA authorization for tiger reserve buffer zone research
  • Wildlife Institute of India (WII) research coordination Submit requests to: Field Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Ramnagar, Nainital District, Uttarakhand 244715, India DGCA Digital Sky: https://digitalsky.dgca.gov.in
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