Forests in Madhya Pradesh go hi tech

Madhya Pradesh is using a number of Information Technology applications, including personal digital assistants mobile phone, for conserving its forest and wildlife treasures, especially tiger reserves.

In Kanha and Satpura Tiger Reserve, the entire forest staff has been equipped with the PDA phones not just only to report sighting of wildlife, but also illegal felling of trees deep inside the forests.

"Also, various other Information and Communication Technology initiatives launched by the forest department for the conservation of forest and wildlife have resulted in effective monitoring of the two precious wealth of the state," additional principal chief conservator of forests, Anil Oberoi told PTI.

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Showing updated figures from the field through PDA by the beat staff on a screen attached to the central server, the official showed sighting of tiger and deer in Satpura and Kanha National Parks.

Asked about connectivity, Oberoi said normally these PDA phones have round-the-clock satellite link, but in case it is not available at any spot then the concerned staff store the data in the digital format and transfer the same through GSM network after reaching his range office.

"We are working on equipping the entire forest staff in all the national parks and tiger reserves with the PDA phones so that conservation of forest and wildlife can be done in an effective manner," he said.

Oberoi said the Forest Offence Management System helps in registering forest offences electronically on GPS facilitated PDAs at the location of offence itself.

Later it transfers data either to main server (if GPRS connectivity is available) or to range computer in offline mode.

The application helps in building data base of different forest offences and offenders along with their photographs. Besides, it also outlines sensitive areas.

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"This application has been operationalised and is very useful in containing the forest offences," he claimed.

Informing about fire alert messaging system, he said that it is a small but very useful computer programme which uses processed remote sensing data of active fire locations obtained through satellite to send alerts to concerned field staff through SMS or e-mail.

It also builds the database of fire locations which can be used to identify fire sensitive zones scientifically and also to plan fire control strategy, Oberoi said.

The ICT initiatives taken by Madhya Pradesh Forest Department have inspired states like Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Haryana and Rajasthan among others and their forest officials have visited the state for studying these programmes so that they can be implemented in their respective states.