In Chhattisgarh’s forests, fear once followed the footsteps of elephants. This story traces how one IFS officer used AI and community action to turn conflict into coexistence.
In Chhattisgarh’s forests, elephants began migrating from Odisha — and with them came deadly human-elephant interactions. Villagers were unprepared for these gentle giants turning up near homes.
Earlier, villagers were warned by Munaadi, a messenger who beat drums and used a mic to alert communities. But it wasn’t fast or reliable enough — and in 2022, several villagers died because warnings didn’t reach in time.
Witnessing those tragic deaths moved IFS officer Varun Jain to act. He knew something better had to replace the slow, traditional alerts.
In early 2023, Varun and his team developed a basic app to share elephant movement data via WhatsApp. It was a promising start — but the process remained manual and limited in reach.
Partnering with Kalpvaig Technologies, the team launched the Chhattisgarh Elephant Tracking & Alert System, powered by AI, in June 2023.
Foot patrol teams use a mobile app to record elephant signs (tracks, dung, herd details). This data syncs when the network is available and gets fed into an AI mapping system.
AI identifies villages within around 10 km of elephant herds and sends automated alerts — SMS, WhatsApp, phone calls — to registered villagers and officials. With no separate app needed, it is done through a number registration.
Even with AI, foot patrolers are essential — they brave dense forests to gather real-time info. And traditional Munaadi alerts still serve as backups for places with limited network coverage.
Since February 2023, human deaths have dropped dramatically — with 22 months recording zero fatalities, apart from one exceptional case. It marks a significant achievement in saving lives.
The system also helps analyse elephant behaviour, mapping corridors and helping plan habitat priorities, such as planting food sources safely inside forests.
Varun’s team is exploring vibration sensors to detect elephants earlier using low-frequency seismic waves — aiming to predict movements before they near villages.
Varun stresses that tech alone isn’t enough — ecosystem protection, stopping habitat loss, and reducing harmful human practices are the real long-term solutions.