Jharkhand AI surveillance towers (Img AI Generated)
Ranchi: Human-wildlife conflicts in Jharkhand often increase after the monsoon season as heavy rainfall affects forest habitats. With forests becoming waterlogged, elephants, leopards and other wild animals frequently move towards human settlements in search of food and shelter, leading to casualties and property damage.
To tackle this growing challenge, the Jharkhand Forest and Environment Department has introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based surveillance technology to monitor wildlife movement and provide early warnings to villagers.
As part of a pilot project, three AI-powered surveillance towers have been installed in Ramgarh, Dalma and Palamu regions.
Earlier, thermal imaging systems could only capture basic visuals of animals. However, the new AI technology can identify and classify different species, including elephants, leopards and deer, by analysing their size and physical features.
The advanced towers are equipped with automatic alert systems that send real-time notifications to the forest department’s command centre whenever wildlife movement is detected.
This allows officials to respond quickly and helps alert nearby villagers before dangerous encounters occur.
The technology is expected to be especially useful in areas like Palamu, where leopard attacks have been reported frequently.
According to officials, around 100 people lose their lives every year in Jharkhand due to wildlife attacks, with the number rising to nearly 130 in some years.
Shahzada Anwar, associated with the Human-Wildlife Conflict Prevention Task Force, said that Uttarakhand successfully reduced wildlife-related deaths by 40% after implementing an AI-based elephant tracking system.
Officials believe similar technology can help protect communities living near forest boundaries in Jharkhand.
Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) S.R. Natesh said that data collected from the three AI surveillance towers, along with information from other sources, will be analysed after the monsoon season.
Based on the findings, the department will prepare a detailed plan to install similar AI monitoring systems in other sensitive forest areas across Jharkhand.
The initiative aims to improve the safety of villagers while also ensuring better protection and management of wildlife.
