Indian railways come up with its landmark venture under the initiative wherein it provides an AI-based surveillance technology in elephant corridors to help prevent trains colliding into elephants. Introducing an innovation by Northeast Frontier railway into the protection of wildlife through ensuring that accidents related to wildlife avoid coming before some point where elephants pass through crossing rails.
Steps Towards Wildlife Protection
The NFR has just recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RailTel Corporation of India Ltd for the development and implementation of an advanced Intrusion Detection System (IDS) along elephant corridors. This AI-based system will significantly improve the safety and disaster mitigation effort as it can detect wild animals near the tracks. Therefore, Indian Railways incorporated high-tech technology to minimize fatalities and to increase the efficiency of train operation.
How the AI-Based Surveillance System Works
An IDS uses fibre optic technology that operates on the principle of the “dialysis scattering phenomenon.” In this highly advanced system, the real-time movements of elephants and other wild animals are detected. The system is strong enough to cover an area of about 60 kilometers, by giving a warning message beforehand to the station masters, gatemen, control offices, and loco pilots.
This real-time AI-based alert system can detect any kind of movement 30-40 minutes in advance. An alert is sent to the central control system, the station masters, and even at the level crossing gates. Authorities can take swift actions such as slowing down or complete halting of trains, avoiding accidents.
Multi-Purpose Functionality: The system prevents elephant-train collisions but detects issues including rail fractures, trespassing through unauthorized means, and slides near the tracks. The new high-tech system will therefore further ease the mitigation of disasters which will make it safer for humans and animals within the Indian railway network.
Pilot Project Success:
Indian Railways has already experimented with the IDS system in two high-risk locations: the Dooars region’s Chalsa-Hasimara section and Assam’s Lanka-Hawaipur section, prior to full implementation across all elephant corridors. The pilot project was successful and had saved many an elephant from train accidents, and now this system will gradually be expanded across other elephant corridors within the NFR jurisdiction.
This pro-activity has already changed the game as far as reducing train-related elephant deaths are concerned. For instance, in Assam and West Bengal, the killing of elephants by train hits had always been one of the most prominent causes of death among these gentle giants. But AI surveillance is promising to turn the tide in favor of these invaluable pachyderms.
Elephant Corridors: An Emerging Problem
India has over 27,000 elephants. The two biggest elephant-population states are Assam and Karnataka. In the past few decades, the number of elephant corridors in India has increased extensively. While there were just 11 corridors in the year 2012, by the year 2023, there were 80. Along with the increase in the number of elephants and their tendency to reach the railway tracks, the probability of collision also increases. This is the very reason why the IDS system has become the need of the hour.
- Tragic deaths due to train accidents and other misfortunes: As many as 21 elephants have been reported to be killed by train accidents and electrocution during last year. In 2021 alone, 71 such unfortunate deaths were reported from Assam, mostly because of the elephant-human conflict over trains. The death toll so far for this year stands at eight.
- Human-Elephant Conflict: The increasing number of death elephants is not only tragic for the wildlife but also symbolizes an increase in the human-elephant conflict. Since last year, 118 people have lost their lives due to elephant attacks, while hundreds of more have been injured. These will decrease by using AI surveillance because it alerts authorities of threats and slows the speed of trains passing sensitive areas.
Benefits of AI Surveillance for Train and Wildlife Safety
The AI-powered IDS system has various benefits for railway sectors and wildlife conservation efforts :
- Improved Safety: It can save human and animal lives with real-time alerts that help prevent accidents.
- Improved Mobility: The prevention of elephants from colliding with each other ensures that trains will be able to run on higher speeds without compromising the safety aspect.
- Better Disaster Mitigation: The system will detect rail fractures, landslides, and unauthorized activities near railway tracks, thus making the entire NFR network safer.
- Clearance for Railway Projects: This technology also facilitates easier clearance from the Ministry of Forests and Environment for new railway lines passing through wildlife sanctuaries.
Conclusion: A Step Towards Sustainable Rail Travel
The introduction of AI-based surveillance in elephant corridors is a step imperative for safety not only for wildlife but also for passengers. Its further spread across the NFR network, the IDS system holds much promise for saving elephant lives in thousands and promises better operational efficiency for the railways. Through advancement in technology, Indian Railways, which is enhancing transport efficiency, is also having an optimistic impact on regional conservation.
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