RANCH: Chakradharpur (CKP) Division under South Eastern Railway is all set to install an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Elephant Intrusion Detection System (EIDS) soon to prevent elephants from being mowed down by the speeding trains in Jharkhand.
The Intrusion Detection System, for which a successful trail was completed recently along the Barabamboo-Chakradharpur-Lotapahar section, detects the presence of elephants close to the rail track and informs the loco pilots on time so that they can 'slow down' the speeding train.
Two elephants, Jyoti and Sonu, were arranged from ‘Vantara’ for the testing to assess the impact of EIDS.
The system will operate through fibre optics and sensors. This step will prove to be very crucial in the Kolhan region, where a large number of elephants cross railway tracks regularly and many of them are hit by trains and killed.
The system has been developed by Indian Railways in association with the Forest Department. The railway officials have identified such spots where elephants move frequently and will install the system at such places.
According to Railway officials, the system works within a radius of 30 meters on both sides of the railway track. When a herd of elephants comes within the radius, the system immediately sends an alert to the nearest station master.
“The station master will inform the train driver through the wireless system, after which the speed of the train is slowed down,” said Senior DCM Adiyta Kumar Chaudhary.
After the elephants cross the track, the speed of the train is normalised, he added. Notably, a herd of wild elephants roams in nearly 18 districts of Jharkhand, due to which at many occasions they get killed after being hit by trains on railway tracks.
According to the data provided by the Forest Department, on average 12 to 20 elephants are killed in train accidents every year in Jharkhand.
Most accidents occur in the Chakradharpur Railway Division, while half a dozen elephants have also been killed in the last five years in the Ranchi Railway Division.
Many times, a herd of elephants encamp on the railway track, disrupting rail services. Not only elephants, but Railways also suffer losses due to such incidents, as there is always a danger of the train getting derailed.
To prevent such incidents and to save elephants from getting hit by the trains, the Railways is preparing this AI-equipped Elephant Intuition Detection System device for Rs 15 crore and is taking the final step towards installing it.