New Delhi: The Railway Ministry will soon implement an artificial intelligence (AI) based technology in its 700 kilometers of elephant-prone areas across India to stop elephant deaths caused by speeding trains.
The technology, named as intrusion detection system (IDES), has already been commissioned as a pilot project over a section of 60 to 70 kms in Lumding division under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in Assam. Talking about the technology, Anshul Gupta, general manager of NFR told ETV Bharat tthat the system is working very fine.
“It is based on an artificial intelligence powered OFC based detection system. The censor will identify elephants near railway tracks and alert locations to control officers, drivers, station masters and all,” he said.
The Railway Ministry said that as part of an expansion plan, the technology is slated to be implemented across 700 kilometers of elephant-prone areas in the coming months. The estimated project cost stands at Rs 181 crore, signaling a substantial investment in wildlife conservation efforts.
This pioneering initiative will also be implemented in West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Jharkhand, parts of Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu. “It’s an effort for wildlife conservation,” a senior official said. Elephants have been facing a major threat as speeding trains hit unaware elephants on track. Over a dozen elephants are being killed in India every year, the official said.
Data shows that at least 200 elephants have died in the last 10 years from 2012-2022. As many as 30 died in Assam, 55 in West Bengal, 14 in Odisha, nine in Uttarakhand, one each in Tripura and Uttar Pradesh. The official said that the NFR is also taking several other steps to protect elephants from being killed.
“Vegetation on the railway track has been cleared, close coordination with the forest departments, regular patrolling is being conducted by the NFR,” the official said. “The primary objective is to reduce the impact of train-related incidents of elephants, contributing significantly to the broader goal of wildlife conservation,” the official from the railway ministry said.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier emphasized that this forward-looking approach aligns with the government’s commitment to harmonize infrastructure development with environmental conservation, showcasing a balance between progress and the protection of India’s rich biodiversity. The railway minister also underscored his ministry’s unwavering commitment to tackling issues prevalent in elephant-prone areas across India.
