WB to use drones fitted with night-vision cameras to tackle man-elephant conflict

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in an administrative meeting has directed officials to use drones to monitor the movement of elephants

With man-elephant conflict on the rise and more than 400 persons being killed by elephants in the last five years in West Bengal, the state government is planning to use drones fitted with night-vision cameras to tackle the menace.

Most of the man-elephant conflict took place after sunset and before sunrise. (Representational image)

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in an administrative meeting has directed officials to use drones to monitor the movement of elephants.

“Use drones to monitor the movement of elephants. Elephants often stray out of the forests and are even known to change their migratory routes. The Forest department should have drones one each in every district where there are large forest tracts,” Banerjee said in the meeting held at the state secretariat.

Data placed in the Lok Sabha in July this year reveals that at least 436 people have been killed by elephants between 2019-20 and 2023-24. The death toll has been rising over the past four years.

While in 2019-20 at least 116 people were killed, the death toll dropped to 47 the following year. It, however, started rising from 2021-22 with at least 77 deaths being registered that year. In 2022-23 and 2023-24 at least 97 and 99 deaths were reported from across the state.

“We sometimes use drones to tackle the movement of elephants, but a project has been sanctioned in which heavy duty drones fitted with night vision cameras would be used to tackle the man-elephant conflict for the first time. It is being funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency,” a top forest department official told HT.

At least 41 elephants were killed during the same period (2019-20 to 2023-24) across the state due to various reasons including train accidents, electrocution, poaching and poisoning.

“Most of the man-elephant conflict took place after sunset and before sunrise. Hence drones fitted with night-vision cameras are necessary,” said the official.

While north Bengal has around 488 elephants, south Bengal has around 194 pachyderms. In 2023 the Union environment and forest ministry in a report had identified at least 150 elephant corridors across India. While there were 11 corridors in south Bengal, two were inter-state corridors shared with Jharkhand. The report also stated that in most of the corridors in south Bengal intensity of elephant use had increased.