The forest department of Tamil Nadu is planning to set up an artificial intelligence (AI) system to prevent elephant deaths due to train related accidents on the tracks between Madukkarai and Walayar in Coimbatore district. An amount of Rs 7 crore has been sanctioned for the project. The forest department has already floated tenders from agencies to install the AI system in the sector. The last date for submitting bids is September 8.
Two railway lines pass through the Madukkarai forest range between Madhukkarai and Walayar. The distance of one stretch is 1.8 km and the other is 2.8 km. Both the tracks have several hotspots for elephant crossing. An RTI response in 2021 from Southern Railways had revealed that eight wild elephants were killed in train mishaps between Kanjikode and Madukkarai railway stations in the preceding five years alone.
A detailed study carried out by the Tamil Nadu forest department along with the railways department identified a 13 km stretch of tracks where elephants were most vulnerable, based on the frequency of elephant crossing. The proposed AI system to be installed along this stretch is meant to issue warnings about elephant crossings. According to the department officials, the problem areas would be identified into three zones. The 50 m area from the centre to the track will be the red zone, the next 50m will be the orange zone and further 50m will be the yellow zone.
An acoustic (hooter) alert and a luminous alert would be installed at all sensor towers and in the console room. If an elephant enters the yellow zone, an alert will be generated in the console room and the message will be passed to the forest watchers. Messages and alerts will be sent to forest guards, watchers, forest range officers and railway station master if the elephant crosses the orange zone.
If the elephant enters the red zone, alerts will be sent to the district forest officials, divisional engineers of railways, who will intimate the loco pilot. Details of the elephant and its distance from the track will be intimated to the loco pilot in advance. A senior officer of the forest department told IANS that after the tender is awarded, work will commence within two months.