In a remarkable stride towards human-wildlife coexistence, Chhattisgarh’s pioneering Elephant Tracking and Alert app has emerged as a beacon of hope for communities residing near the Udanti Sitanadi tiger reserve. What was once a pilot project has now blossomed into a statewide initiative, safeguarding lives and mitigating conflicts between humans and elephants.
This innovative solution, seamlessly integrating artificial intelligence, human patrolling teams, and an advanced elephant tracker system, has been the linchpin in achieving zero casualties since its launch seven months ago. The brainchild of Varun Jain, deputy director of Udanti Sitanadi tiger reserve and the app’s visionary founder, its success has prompted numerous forest divisions across the state to adopt this life-saving technology.
The heart of this system lies in its ability to monitor the movements and presence of elephant herds across the anticipated regions. Through a network of vigilant patrolling teams and cutting-edge AI algorithms, real-time information is fed into the app, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the elephants’ behavior.
Operating within a ten-kilometer radius of the herds, the AI swiftly identifies villages at potential risk and dispatches alerts to the residents’ mobile devices. These notifications are dispatched through calls, voice messages, and WhatsApp messages, targeting individuals whose names, mobile numbers, and GPS locations are registered with the app.
As reported by The Times of India, over 2,500 locals from 110 villages in various states have already registered with the app, embracing it as a lifeline in their day-to-day lives. According to Jain, the transformation has been dramatic, with incidents of human-elephant conflicts and attacks plummeting in the past seven to eight months. The tiger reserve, once beleaguered by frequent conflicts, now stands as a testament to the app’s efficacy in safeguarding lives.
The scope of impact extends beyond Udanti Sitanadi, encompassing the sprawling reserve that spans from the Gariaband district to the neighboring Dhamtari district. In the northern reaches of the state, where elephant attacks were once alarmingly common, the app has played a pivotal role in saving lives. Over the past three years, more than 230 lives were lost, and 75 elephants succumbed to these conflicts. With the app’s implementation, this harrowing trend has been decisively reversed.
Beyond its immediate lifesaving function, the app has become an invaluable tool for researchers and conservationists. By meticulously tracking the roaming patterns of elephant herds, it illuminates crucial insights into their preferred corridors, forest habitats, and movement across districts. This wealth of data promises to revolutionize our understanding of these majestic creatures, enabling more effective conservation efforts.
The tracking system, a harmonious blend of human ingenuity and technological prowess, sees dedicated patrolling teams venture into the heart of the forest, gathering vital direct and indirect evidence of elephant movements. Moreover, the app’s multifaceted functionality extends beyond elephants, providing timely alerts on the presence of other wild animals like leopards, wild buffaloes, and bears.
Chhattisgarh’s Elephant Tracking and Alert app stands as a testament to the power of technology in fostering harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife. Under the stewardship of Varun Jain and his dedicated team, this initiative has not only saved lives but also paved the way for a new era of wildlife conservation. As its influence continues to expand across the state, we can only anticipate a brighter, safer future for both communities and the majestic elephants they share their home with.
