Wild animals get killed on railway tracks on a regular basis throughout India. In the process of crossing the tracks, the animals are hit by rail locomotives. The Uttarakhand forest department has started a pilot project in the Kumoan region to stop wildlife deaths on railway lines, using drones for track surveillance.
Drones are being used over the Lalkuan-Kashipur track route, at Tanda crossing to monitor wildlife. Under the special surveillance exercise, 15-20 minutes before the arrival of the train the drone is used for inspecting the tracks and movement of wildlife.
Uttarakhand’s Conservator of Forests (Western Circle- Kumaon) Parag Madhukar Dhakate said, “Since the past few years wild animals like tigers, leopards and elephants have been killed on rail tracks due to head-on collision with rail locomotives.
Therefore with an objective to reduce wild animal accidents on railway tracks, drones are being used to maintain regular surveillance over tracks passing through wildlife corridors in the Tarai areas.”