Compulsive clickers, video shooters on highways prove a headache for Bandipur's foresters

CCTV cameras come a cropper due to poor network, unreliable power

Hubballi: Installation of close circuit television (CCTV) cameras was pegged as one of the solutions to prevent travellers from alighting from their vehicles to click pictures or teasing wild animals on the busy national highways 181 and 766 that pass through Bandipur national park.

However, poor network coverage and lack of reliable power source are stopping the forest department from installing CCTV cameras, resulting in regular violation of rules.

The highway patrolling vehicles of the department have been warning people against halting vehicles in protected areas or from getting down from their vehicles on sighting animals.

Social media uploads

However, social media is regularly flooded with videos uploaded by people, of violators standing in very close proximity to animals, especially elephants.

Shahul Hamid of Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district was the latest among a series of people who violated rules and ended up paying a fine of Rs 25,000 and issuing a statement requesting others not to do the same.

There is no data available with the department on the number of violators booked or fine collected.  

Wildlife activist Joseph Hoover says Hamid’s was not a one-off incident on the highways of Bandipur.

“Every alternate day, we receive inputs of such violations taking place in Bandipur,” he says and adds it’s the animals that pay the price for violations by humans, if something untoward happens.

In 2018, there were plans to instal CCTV cameras (Garuda surveillance) on the 18-km stretch of one of the densely wildlife-populated roads so that people littering, speeding and alighting from vehicles could be penalised or warned.

However, due to logistical reasons the plan remains stalled.

Solar-satellite solution

“Network coverage and power supply to CCTV cameras is one of the biggest challenges. We are working on a solution via solar-panel power supply and satellite links. However, as of now there is no feasible solution,” says Bandipur field director S Prabhakaran, acknowledging that animal teasing and littering in protected areas were a nuisance.

He says depending on the severity of violation, officials are penalising violators.

As per the instruction by the principal chief conservator of forests, the minimum fine for such violation is Rs 1,000.  

'Hike penalty'

Joseph, however, advocates increasing the minimum penalty to Rs 25,000 and the department to create more awareness among road users.

PCCF Subhash K Malkhede says installing CCTV cameras on the highway is not the ideal solution.

“Public should understand to behave well in protected areas. We have increased highway patrolling in Bandipur and will be stricter on violators.”

AI, advanced tech

He says the department is looking for alternative solutions for this problem, using artificial intelligence and other technologies.