To strengthen security and protect wildlife and century-old trees from poachers and smugglers in the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, the Forest Department (AI)-based Smart Surveillance System.
The initiative comes at a time when Maoists have been wiped out of the tiger reserve, and efforts are on to revive its tiger population, which until recently had come down to zero from 18 in the 1990s. During the same period, the population of wild buffaloes – Chhattisgarh’s state animal – crashed from around 80 to seven. Today, only one wild buffalo survives in the reserve.
The decline was not limited to tigers and buffaloes. Populations of panthers, gaur, sambar, nilgai, spotted deer and wild boar also dwindled over the years.
One of the major reasons for the decline is poaching. In the last four years, over 550 smugglers, including 100 poachers involved in leopard and pangolin trafficking, have been arrested. Also, 956 hectares of encroached land has been cleared.
At present, a dispersing tigress named Paheli has survived the harsh summer, and hopes are being pinned on her to revive the tiger population.
The system involves installing tower-mounted trolley cameras at heights over 60 feet. The cameras will enable real-time monitoring of in some of the most remote and challenging forest landscapes of the reserve.
The system will be a shot in the arm for the workforce, where 143 beats have been sanctioned in the reserve but only 55 guards have been posted. The force multiplier will not only support patrolling activities but also improve response time in the event of an intrusion.
The system will be portable and can be placed at any location as needed. The AI-powered cameras will automatically detect and identify key wildlife species, including Asian elephants, tigers, leopards and sloth bears, while simultaneously recognising human intrusions such as poachers, illegal trespassers, timber smugglers and encroachers.
Upon detection, the system will instantly generate alerts through WhatsApp messages, SMS notifications and automated phone calls to frontline forest staff and supervisory officers, enabling rapid response and intervention.
Dedicated internet connectivity is being provided to the system to ensure uninterrupted video streaming and real-time transmission of surveillance feeds even from remote forest locations that traditionally lack mobile network coverage.
The project will be implemented in phases from next week till the end of July. “One system costs Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. In all, six such systems will be installed in the strategically important Kulhadighat Range, Indagaon Range, Risgaon Range, South Udanti Range and Payalikhand North Udanti Range, which borders the Odisha landscape, an area characterised by dense forests, rugged terrain and elevated plateaus that serve as movement corridors for elephants and other wildlife, and also a corridor for narcotics smuggling, illegal wildlife trade and teak smuggling,” said Varun Jain, Deputy Director of USTR.
The AI surveillance project builds upon USTR’s earlier efforts to integrate modern technology into conservation management. The reserve has already been utilising drone-based monitoring for anti-poaching operations, habitat surveillance, fire monitoring and encroachment detection.
In addition, USTR has been making extensive use of satellite imagery and Google Earth Engine-based geospatial analysis platforms to monitor forest cover changes, identify encroachments, track habitat restoration efforts, and support evidence-based management decisions. USTR has freed 956 hectares of forest land from encroachment and arrested over 550 smugglers and poachers in the last four years.
Jain added, “Over the past few years, strengthened protection measures and technology-driven monitoring have contributed to several important wildlife records and conservation successes within the reserve, including documentation of Malabar Pied Hornbills, Indian Giant Squirrels, Indian Flying Squirrels, Indian Paradise Flycatchers, Peregrine Falcons, Otters and Tricarinate Hill Turtles, reflecting improving ecosystem health and enhanced biodiversity monitoring.”
