The escalation in the man-elephant conflict in the eastern Dooars has prompted the authorities of the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Alipurduar to take a new strategic initiative to mitigate such conflicts.
Sources in the BTR, the sole tiger reserve in north Bengal, said they had opened a 24/7 central control room at the office of the west division of the reserve to monitor the movement of wild elephants outside the forest boundaries.
As part of the project, 11 solar-powered AI motion sensor cameras have been installed in certain locations of the reserve.
“These cameras transmit live feeds to the control room. Also, these GSM-enabled cameras are capable of detecting elephant movements and sending immediate alerts to the central control room as well as to designated mobile devices used by range officers, beat officers, and the rapid response teams working in vulnerable zones,” said a forester.
While five cameras have been installed in Damanpur, Majherdabri tea estate, and Garambusty, which are in the fringes of BTR to prevent elephant depredation in and around Alipurduar town, three other cameras have been put in the Nimati-Domohoni area to monitor elephant movement along the Nimati-Chilapata corridor.
“Another set of three cameras has been installed in Narathali and Marakhata areas of the Kumargram block. This initiative is designed to facilitate prompt and coordinated responses to reduce incidents of elephant depredation in fringe areas,” the
forester added.
Sources said a survey was carried out to identify the routes frequently used by wild elephants to move out of the forest area. Accordingly, the cameras have been installed.
“After installation, these AI-powered systems have demonstrated their essential role in providing early warnings and enabling rapid responses. The real-time alerts have significantly decreased response times and are allowing field teams to manage and prevent potential human-elephant conflicts proactively,” said a source.
In due course, the BTR intends to increase the number of such cameras.
“This is a pilot project. We have installed eleven cameras at strategic locations across BTR. We are hopeful it will be proved to be effective to curb elephant depredation,” said Harikrishnan PJ, the deputy field director (west) of BTR.
Vigilance
The Jaldapara Wildlife Division in Alipurduar has initiated special protective measures during the monsoon season to ensure the safety of wildlife and forest resources.
As the Jaldapara National Park is closed for visitors till mid-September, like other reserve forests, the risks of poaching and illegal entry of people for unlawful activities increase in forest areas.
In Bengal, Jaldapara is the largest habitat of one-horned rhinos.
“The forests remained deserted, and poachers and other anti-socials can try to sneak into the forest for illegal activities. That is why the vigilance has been heightened,” said a forest officer.
Parveen Kaswan, the divisional forest officer of Jaldapara wildlife division, said they have introduced speed boats for patrolling in the park.
“Along with foot and pet elephant patrolling, we are using speed boats as there are vast stretches of water during the monsoon months in the park. Also, drones are being flown to check out the state of affairs in the core areas,” he said.