Maharashtra News: AI Surveillance To Curb Human-Wildlife Conflicts; Forest Minister Launches 15-Day Action Plan

Mumbai: To prevent rising incidents of human-wildlife conflict in Maharashtra, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik has directed that AI-powered surveillance cameras be installed in villages located in forest buffer zones where wildlife activity is high. The initiative aims to alert villagers of approaching wild animals and prevent attacks, especially in the Vidarbha region, which has seen a surge in such incidents.

Naik chaired a meeting at the Mantralaya, attended by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal, MLA Parinay Fuke, Additional Chief Secretary Milind Mhaiskar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Territorial) Shomita Biswas, and PCCF (Wildlife) Srinivas Reddy, among other senior officials.

During the meeting, Forest Minister Naik announced that AI-enabled cameras with alarm systems would be installed across buffer zone villages. Assistance will be taken from the state government’s tech arm, MARVEL, and implementation is to be completed within 15 days on a war footing. He also directed immediate approval of proposals for this initiative, with guaranteed funding.

Naik further instructed that fencing, trench digging, and grassland development be carried out inside forests to discourage animals from straying into human settlements. He also proposed offering government jobs to families of victims killed in tiger attacks and ensuring no delays in granting permissions for the repair of existing forest roads. Additionally, he recommended considering private wildlife sanctuaries to accommodate excess animal populations and called for population control strategies.

Revenue Minister Bawankule proposed launching solar energy projects on farmland near forest boundaries, to be managed by the Forest Department on a rental basis. He also suggested adopting international best practices from countries like South Africa and the United States for wildlife management.

Minister of State Jaiswal stressed the need for permanent solutions to human-wildlife conflict and called for immediate employment support to families of those killed in wildlife attacks. He also urged for speedy repairs of forest roads to aid in emergency response and accessibility.