Forest department deploys sensors, CCTV to monitor jumbo crossings

After testing traditional methods like trenches, the Forest department has taken up a pilot project to tackle elephant intrusions on railway tracks by fixing thermal sensors. After a trial period running for about a month, the Forest department is all set to implement the sensor technology in tackling elephant intrusions on railway tracks in the forest areas of Madukkarai in Coimbatore. 

Elephant intrusions are frequent on the railway stretch between Madukkarai and Palakkad. Track A from Madukkarai to Palakkad runs through 1.5 km into the forest cover and track B from Palakkad to Madukkarai chugs along three km into the forests. Thermal sensors have been fixed on track B, running from Palakkad to Madukkarai, for a stretch of about 250 mts, to detect and issue an alert on elephant intrusions.

The project will commence full-fledged in the second week of February. “In the whole of January, jumbos have crossed the track safely around 150 times. Whenever an elephant comes through this path, the sensors detect its presence and send us alert messages. On a daily basis, we receive an average of six messages on elephant intrusions,” said M ​Senthil Kumar, Madukkarai Forest Ranger.

Eight sensors fixed on poles along the stretch detect elephant visits and send an alert to both the Forest department and the Railways. “Our Forest department plans to meet Railway officials in the Palakkad division in Kerala in a couple of days. We want to include their mobile numbers too in the messaging service. This may help trains to slow down to prevent elephant hits. Steep slopes along the tracks have made it difficult for elephants to move fast, resulting in train hits,” said Senthil Kumar. The sensors have been fixed at a blind curve of the railway track B, which has been identified as being more prone to elephant intrusions. In February 2008, as many as four elephants were knocked down by a train, while another adult elephant was killed in a train hit incident a year ago.

As revolving surveillance cameras have also been fixed along the track, the movement of animals can be monitored and immediate efforts taken to drive them away. A team of 12 anti-depredation (ravagement) watchers maintain round the clock vigil at the watch towers, to chase away wild elephants from tracks.

There are about 400 elephants in the jungles of Coimbatore district and a large number of them frequent the Madukkarai forest range.