New app to help forest guards on patrol at BRT

The Forest department personnel on guard at Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve in Chamarajanagar district, will now be enabled with latest mobile application 'M-STrIPES', to protect tigers and wildlife.

M-STrIPES means Monitoring System for Tigers Intensive Protection and Ecological Status. The Wildlife Institute of India, has developed the application with the help of National Tiger Conservative Authority (NTCA), which has been made it compulsory to use the application at all the tiger reserves in the country.

The mobile app system was in place at BRT, but was not totally implemented. As the updated version is developed now, the department personnel have been provided training on using the App.

The application works on the GPS, GPRS and remote sensing technology and was used during the tiger census last year.

The forest guards and watchers on patrol should register whatever changes they observe. But, it was not done systematically. The guards pass on the oral information to the higher officials. The higher officials were not able to take decisions during the emergencies, if there was any delay in communicating the observation.

In an effort to bring a change in the system, the mobile application has been developed and the forest guards, watchers and DRFOs should register the changes immediately using the App. For instance, if they observe any movements of a tiger or animal deaths due to poaching, they can click pictures and upload the same along with the other details using the App. The officers can get all the information immediately at their offices, which helps in speedy action.

BRT Project Director and Deputy Conservator of Forest Santosh Kumar said, "The new mobile application will help the patrolling in an effective way. The application has been installed on the mobile phones of the forest guards and watchers and have been provided necessary training. They will be starting to use the new Mobile App in a couple of days."

Chief Conservator of Forest Manoj Kumar said that the mobile application has been made mandatory at all the tiger reserves and helps in protecting the wildlife. The personnel upload the details and we can know from where it has been uploaded. Hence, it also helps in keeping a track on the employees, to know whether they are on their respective beats."