New Delhi, July 20 (IANS): An indigenously developed runway visibility device has been made operational at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, the ministry of science and technology said on Monday.

'Drishti' -- which will ensure safe landings and take-offs in poor visibility -- will be of critical importance when visibility is between 25 and 2,000 metres at IGI.

IGI is the first airport in the country to have 10 indigenous systems deployed on its three runways.

Designed and developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), Bengaluru, it will ease out computer and instrument congestion at the air traffic control towers and aid meteorological officials to report visibility data to pilots.

"The system is very cost-effective and a mandatory requirement as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The system is engineered for easy installation and maintenance," the ministry said in a statement.

"Another advantage is that the functioning of the devices can be monitored through internet from Bengaluru itself, drastically reducing the maintenance cost," it added.