Sambalpur Forest Division uses app help to monitor elephant movement

SAMBALPUR: In a bid to reduce loss of life and property due to man-animal conflicts, the Sambalpur Forest Division has started using android mobile app to share the real-time movement of elephants among its field staff. 

DFO Sanjeet Kumar the app will help in tracking the movement of elephants in a more effective and efficient way.

It has been installed in mobile phones of patrolling staff who will regularly inform the headquarters about the location of elephants.

They would take photographs and other data related to the pachyderms and send it to the headquarters. The Forest officials will be able to know the movement and exact location of elephants sitting in control room and take action accordingly to reduce man-animal conflict and loss of lives and property, he said. 

On many occasions, the patrolling staff have been found sending reports without going to the field. With the introduction of this app, the time spent by forest personnel patrolling in the field is recorded and transmitted online. 

The forest personnel have started utilising the app in a full-fledged manner recently. There is also a desktop version of the application.

If any field staff fails to transmit data through mobile phone due to absence of network, he could send it through computer.

Kumar said the field staff can also intimate the officials about loss of property caused by elephants through the app.

Sambalpur Forest Division spreads over an area of around 1,000 sq km. It houses at least 80 elephants.

Calves stuck inside canal rescued

Barbil: Two elephant calves were rescued from a canal by Champua forest range officials with help of JCB machines near Jamudalak village in Keonjhar district on Tuesday night.

Sources said at around 1 am, a herd of 22 elephants was on way to Baitarani from Kalikaprasad reserve forest.

While crossing the four ft deep canal, a branch line of Kanpur irrigation project adjacent to NH-520, the calves got stuck inside and were unable to come out but the adults crossed over.

While 17 elephants went away, three female jumbos stayed behind near the canal and kept trumpeting. Residents of nearby villages contacted forest officials of Champua on hearing the sounds. Soon, the forest staff arrived at the spot with a JCB machine, filled the canal with soil and created a ramp following the calves were able to come out.

The calves and the three female elephants later joined the herd. Keonjhar DFO Swayam Mallick said, “Since there is regular movement of elephants on the route, we are mulling to construct a permanent ramp over the irrigation canal to prevent such incidents in future.”