AI Guards Elephant Corridors from Trains

11 Sep 2023 CW Team

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has partnered with RailTel Corporation of India to deploy an Artificial Intelligence-based surveillance system in elephant corridors. This Intrusion Detection System (IDS) aims to prevent train-related accidents involving elephants and enhance disaster preparedness.

NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer, Sabyasachi De, emphasised their commitment to safeguarding wildlife, particularly elephants, near railway tracks. The IDS, initially piloted successfully in West Bengal and Assam, utilises existing optical fibres as sensors to detect the presence of wild animals, sending alerts to relevant authorities.

The system relies on AI and a fibre optic-based acoustic mechanism to monitor real-time elephant movement within a 60-kilometre stretch, providing a 30-40 minute advance warning. Apart from elephant protection, it can identify rail fractures, unauthorised trespassing, unauthorised digging near tracks, and landslides nearby.

This initiative addresses the growing human-elephant conflict in Assam and West Bengal, reducing elephant casualties from train accidents. The IDS will enhance rail transport in the NFR region by improving speeds on elephant corridors and expediting clearances for railway projects through wildlife sanctuaries.

This technological advancement underscores NFR's commitment to protecting wildlife and promoting coexistence with human populations.

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