Real-time alerts to reduce human-jumbo conflicts (State of Kerala, India)
Real-time alerts to reduce human-jumbo conflicts (State of Kerala, India)
The Times of India
June 12, 2022
See link
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/real-time-alerts-to-reduce-human-jumbo-conflicts/articleshow/92153668.cms
for photo.
IDUKKI: In a bid to reduce man-elephant conflicts, forest officials in the
district are rolling out two projects simultaneously in Chinnakanal under
the Munnar wildlife division.
Apart from fixing solar fences, the forest department will install a
sensor-based early warning system that would send out mobile phone alerts
and real-time photographs when wild elephants enter human habitations.
According to forest officials, the early warning system would be
implemented jointly by the forest department and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP).
Munnar divisional forest officer (DFO) Raju Francis said the Rs 20-lakh
sensor-based alert system will cover a 6km stretch in Chinnakanal. "As per
the project, cameras will be fixed at 12 spots and real-time photos of the
wild elephants will be sent to the phones,” said Francis.
“A mobile app system will be used for it and the mobile phones of natives
of the area will function as an LED screen. The people can get real-time
info on wild elephants along the route,” he added.
According to officials, the alert will be sent to forest officials and
natives if the wild elephant enters at least 100m near human habitats. “Our
first preference is to save the lives of people from wild elephant attacks.
We hope the new sensor alert system will be helpful to prevent wild
elephant attacks,” said Francis.
Marayoor DFO M G Vinod Kumar told TOI that the early warning system as in
Chinnakanal will be installed under the Marayoor forest division too. “It
will be installed in the Kanthalloor area in association with UNDP at a
cost of Rs 15 lakh. The tender and other works will be completed soon,”
said Vinod Kumar.
Recently, the forest department had decided to fix hanging solar fences in
Chinnakanal to tackle man-animal conflict. According to Francis, the
project will be implemented on a 20km stretch at a cost of Rs 2 crore.
The forest department’s projects to tackle man-animal conflict in
Chinnakanal are based on the study conducted by researcher Surendra Varma
on elephant behavior in the region.