Drone surveillance has drastically reduced forest intrusions: DCF

Mysuru: The Forest Department has found a high-tech solution to a recurring problem. For the first time, it has deployed a drone surveillance team at Chamundi Hill to prevent man-made fire accidents.

This initiative follows the destruction of over 30 acres of forest due to a fire set by miscreants on Feb. 21.

Encouragingly, after the deployment of the drone team, intrusion into the 17-kilometre forest boundary has reduced significantly. The drone acts as a deterrent as it captures images of intruders, which could lead to arrests if they are found setting fire to the vegetation.

Chamundi Hill spans 1,516 acres, with the Forest Department monitoring the area through three designated beats. Additionally, three watchtowers are staffed for continuous surveillance.

Despite these efforts, a few days ago, miscreants ignited fires at three locations simultaneously within the Chamundi Hill forest. Due to strong winds, the fire spread rapidly, destroying over 30 acres in just half a day. This incident prompted the deployment of a special drone force to enhance fire prevention efforts.

Detecting suspicious activities

The drone team operates under the leadership of Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Dr. K.N. Basavaraju, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Ravindra, Range Forest Officer Srinivas and DRFO Satish.

The team includes technically skilled personnel from the Leopard Task Force, who will use drones to monitor vulnerable areas and deploy surveillance cameras to detect any suspicious activity.

If an intruder or a fire is detected, forest staff will be dispatched immediately for investigation. Additionally, if smoke or flames are spotted, the fire response team will be alerted to rush to the site and extinguish the flames.

Drones are operated around the 17-km boundary four to five times daily, with each flight lasting up to 30 minutes on a single charge. While regular drone flights do not involve recording, the recording mechanism is activated if intruders are detected.

Eye on grazers

The Forest Department suspects that grazers from nearby areas such as Lalithadripura, Hosahundi, Hadajana, Bandipalya, and Manti often set fire to the dry grass to promote fresh vegetation growth for their livestock.

“We plan to register these individuals by collecting their Aadhaar details and other identification. In case of any future fire incidents, these individuals will be the first to be questioned. Ever since we started flying drones, intruders and grazers have begun avoiding the forest area for fear of legal consequences. The drone has proven to be an effective deterrent,” said DCF Basavaraju.

At the three watchtowers, two staff members per shift conduct surveillance during the day. At night, they monitor fire activity through patrolling. Apart from the perimeter, drones are also flown over areas such as Thavarekatte and Gowrishanakaranagar, where people frequently enter the woods for defecation or gambling.