Nagpur: In a bid to tackle man-animal conflict with better monitoring, the state forest department has deployed
GSM camera traps in trouble-torn Maregaon range of Pandharkawda, where tigers have mauled 12 persons in the last 2.5 years.
This is the first time that SIM card-based GSM cameras have been deployed in the country. “These are different from normal camera traps, and give immediate SMS alerts and picture on mobile in case the camera is triggered. In normal camera traps, one has to go to the spot the next day to see if tiger presence was captured on camera,” said state principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) AK Misra.
“These cameras will help in real time monitoring. On trial basis, we have installed five cameras from Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The cost of the GSM camera is Rs40,000 while a normal camera costs Rs17,000. More cameras will be deployed depending on their success,” said Misra after attending a meeting with forest secretary Vikas Kharge on the man-animal conflict in Pandharkawda.
Ralegaon MLA Ashok Uike, deputy conservator (DyCF) KM Abharna, FDCM officials and others were present. Tuesday’s meeting in Mumbai dealt with strategy, including more manpower and resources to capture the tigress and better monitoring.
DyCF Abharna said the GSM cameras give alert on a mobile app with a picture. “On Sunday, there was an SMS alert near Anji. Based on this alert, we immediately directed teams to ensure villagers stay away from the forest. However, the flip side is that GSM cameras will not operate in areas without phone network,” she said.
Abharna said under the restructured strategy to tackle conflict, the wildlife wing plans to bring in at least six trained elephants from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. “Apart from five GSM cameras, 62 camera traps are already installed in the 8,000 hectare conflict area. We also plan to use drones not for regular monitoring, but during capture operations,” she said.
Misra said WII has been requested to carry out ‘Long-term monitoring research’ for at least 3-5 years to mitigate conflict in Pandharkawda, Bramhapuri, Jalgaon-Yawal, and Gondia-Bhandara divisions.
“As part of the awareness drive, I’ve suggested street plays on conflict to sensitize locals. There will be tremendous public pressure to shoot the problem tigers if a 13th kill happens. Hence, both capture and shoot options should be open,” MLA Uike said.
Uike lamented that other departments are fence sitters and doing nothing. An idea of ‘chara depots’ (fodder depots) for cattle also came up in the meeting.
On shooting the tigress, Uike told TOI that he plans to intervene in a PIL being fought in the Nagpur Bench of Bombay high court on the matter.
THE PLAN
* Bringing six trained elephants from MP to capture problem tigress, cubs
* Lantana removal program in vulnerable areas
* More GSM cameras to be deployed
* Police officer and SDO to be included in NTCA committee
* Solar lights at Vihirgaon, where three graziers were mauled
* FIRs against illegal graziers
