Coimbatore: Forest minister R S Rajakannappan on Saturday inaugurated a drone surveillance unit in Madukkarai forest range to prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks by alerting loco pilots about the presence of wild pachyderms near the tracks.Earlier, the Forest Department had introduced an AI-based early warning system to prevent elephant deaths on the tracks. Building on that initiative, the drone surveillance unit has been launched under the Modernization of Forest Force Scheme at a cost of Rs8.67 crore in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Corporation. Under the project, a 24×7 tethered drone system with AI software and thermal imaging has been installed at three locations to monitor elephant movement in real time. The system would detect elephant presence and send instant alerts to field teams. Response teams would then deploy drones fitted with loudspeakers and searchlights to guide elephants back into forest areas, helping to reduce man-animal conflict and prevent elephant death on railway tracks. The forest minister said the project was the first of its kind initiative in India and that other states had shown interest in adopting the AI-based system. Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary, Dept of Environment and Climate Change, said the tethered drone system would add an extra layer of protection to elephant conservation and could track movements up to 2.5km, including areas not covered by the earlier AI-based tracking system. The minister also inaugurated Camp Sethumadai, an ecotourism initiative, in Pollachi taluk. Established under the Tamil Nadu Wilderness Experience Corporation, the camp would support guided trekking and wildlife experiences under the Trek Tamil Nadu initiative, including access to Top Slip and Parambikulam. The facility offers curated trekking trails, birdwatching, and nature interpretation programmes led by trained naturalists.
