Sirsi: The Karnataka Forest Department has launched drone surveillance to monitor and redirect wild elephants straying from their designated corridors into farmlands in Sirsi. This initiative comes as heavy rains and crop diseases have already devastated crops like areca, banana, maize, and rice, leaving farmers with significant losses.
Elephant herds traditionally move between regions like Haliyal, Gunjavati, Yellapur, Mundgod, and Banavasi towards Sorab forest every year. However, due to disturbances like firecrackers used by farmers, elephants often break away from their herds and cause widespread damage to crops. To mitigate the problem, the Forest Department has deployed drones to track the elephants’ movements, especially at night when monitoring is challenging.
The department has assembled a team of 20 forest staff, working in three groups, to monitor elephant movements. Drones are capturing real-time data, alerting ground teams to guide the elephants back to safer paths. This intervention aims to prevent further damage to the crops and avoid potential threats to nearby communities.
Seetharam Hegde, an areca farmer, expressed frustration over the situation: “The rains and crop diseases have already caused significant loss. Now, even areas untouched by elephants are seeing damage.”
The Forest Department, led by DCF Sirsi G.R. Ajjayya, is hopeful that continuous drone surveillance will help guide the elephants back to their natural habitats and prevent further damage to farmers’ livelihoods.
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