Just a few years ago, for many government agencies, a drone was more of an expensive novelty. Today in Eastern Kazakhstan, drones search for people, “catch” violators on highways, help identify illegal gold miners, and monitor fires. But how effectively the region has learned to use new technology, why some drones make hundreds of flights, while others remain new in safes, and what prevents them from being used for air quality measurements, the Kazinform agency correspondent looked into.