Chennai – In a significant step toward modernizing forest management, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department is deploying advanced drones to enhance wildlife monitoring, control forest fires, and strengthen anti-poaching operations.
The initiative, supported by the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR), will roll out these drones across 13 territorial forest circles in the state.
According to I. Anwardeen, Chief Project Director of TBGPCCR, the newly acquired drones are equipped with state-of-the-art features, including a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, thermal imaging sensors with zoom, and GPS integration. These capabilities make the drones highly effective for operations both during the day and at night.
A key goal of this deployment is real-time elephant tracking. By monitoring elephant movements, drones can alert nearby villages when herds approach human settlements, helping prevent human-wildlife conflict.
The GPS-enabled drones will also improve the speed and accuracy of alerts to forest personnel. In forest fire management, thermal sensors can detect the origin and spread of fires, and assess whether the area is accessible to ground teams.
After fires, aerial footage captured by the drones will help assess damage to tree species, wildlife, and small mammals, which is vital for planning restoration and rehabilitation efforts.
These drones also come with optional add-ons like searchlights, loudspeakers, and laser range finders, enhancing their performance in difficult terrain and emergency situations. This multi-functionality enables forest teams to handle complex operations more efficiently.
“These drones are revolutionizing our field operations. Tasks that used to take 20 days of manual work can now be done in just a few hours,” Anwardeen said.
To maximize the effectiveness of this technology, the department will train three staff members from each forest circle to operate the drones, creating a skilled team of in-house drone pilots across Tamil Nadu.
In addition, the department plans to procure a separate class of drones specifically for mapping forest landscapes, studying ecological biodiversity, modelling terrain, and analyzing different forest types.
With inputs from IANS