North Central Railway (NCR) conducted a live demonstration of cleaning solar panels using drone-based technology at Subedarganj railway station (SFG). The drone used features four nozzles that spray water at the target area and is controlled via a satellite/global positioning system (GPS) remote controller/transmitter.
Additionally, it is equipped with a water storage tank with a capacity of 10 litres and can operate for about 22 minutes on a full charge. The demonstration was satisfactory in terms of cleaning the solar panels. However, some minor changes to the drone’s design were suggested to the firm’s technical team to make the drone more user-friendly for railway applications. This initiative is expected to enhance the efficiency, maintenance and cost savings of solar power systems in the NCR zone.
Besides, NCR generated 5.3 million units of electricity, leveraging 13.7 megawatts (MW) of installed solar plant capacity, between April and August 2025.