Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, is using an AI-based tracking system to stop elephant deaths along its railroad tracks.
Animal deaths on and near the state’s railroad tracks are rising, with 36 casualties reported from teach incidents in the last ten years, according to established data.
Eleven of these mortality took place on two railroad lines close to Madukkarai, where the forest edges Kerala, on the state’s border. These tracks cross the elephants ‘ migrant path to nearby trees.
The state’s high court mandated that the railroads and the forest section keep elephants away from these songs in 2021.
The forest office has now installed 12 towers along two of Madukkarai’s road tracks, each equipped with an AI lens capable of infrared and visible light scanning, along with life viewing.
Job director Ashish Rajput said that the AI system’s devices, similar to those used by the Indian Army along the world’s borders, are programmed to even find humans near rail lines.
Alerts are sent to forest and railway officials when elephants are found 100 feet away from the railway track, who coordinate to slow down trains and steer the elephants away from collisions. In the control room close to the railroad track, four people keep an eye on the system.
The project, launched in February, has been executed at a cost of 72.4m rupees ($ 867, 758, £683, 976 ), says Supriya Sahu, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
Previously, forest personnel conducted regular patrols along railway tracks to monitor elephant activity. Ms Sahu said this method had limitations, and ensuring complete elephant safety from accidents posed” significant challenges”.
Within months of its implementation, the AI system has detected nearly 400 instances of elephants approaching railway tracks and promptly reported to railway authorities, thus preventing potential accidents, she said.
” Alerts are sent if any animal, not just elephants, is found nearing the track”, say Mr Manikandan, who works at the control room.
AI has been employed in India for the first time to protect wildlife. The federal railway ministry of India announced in December that it was implementing an AI-based surveillance system known as Gajraj in elephant corridors across various state lines.
Authorities are installing sensors using AI technology near railway tracks to alert the forest department and the railway administration about the movement of the elephants, other animals, and people in order to prevent accidents.
Tamil Nadu has announced plans for its expansion of the new system to five other vulnerable areas in the state, including Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Hosur, and Gudalur.
” Technological interventions significantly reduce train-related accidents involving wildlife,” Ms. Sahu said.
