The forester's foot is best manure for the forest, so the saying goes. True to the word, foresters in Chhattisgarh have demonstrated how high-tech surveillance and decisive action can bring a paradigm shift in forest conservation, reclaiming nearly 1,800 acres of forest from the clutches of encroachment in the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR).
Technological interventions
Satellite images of designated forestlands during 2008-2010 acquired with ISRO aid.
Paradise regained
* Drone mapping of encroached area to access 2022 situation
* Google Earth-powered Remote Sensing Portal for weekly assessment of changes in forest cover,
surface water cover changes
* AI-based tools and machine learning helped identify forest loss over the past 20 years
Outcomes
* 1,800 acres of forestland, worth over Rs.500 cr, freed from encroachment
* 7 major human settlements cleared out
* Over 300 illegal occupants evicted
My take
Combating biodiversity threats, deforestation, loss of wildlife habitat and increased human-animal
conflict, the officer deployed technological interventions to fill up patrolling gaps, reduce man-animal contact and strengthen monitoring of forests and wildlife.
Courtesy. Ejaz Kaiser @ Raipur in the NIE
Tailpiece.
Got up at 5, sent the morning messages, switched on the morning hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp, opened up the house for the day.
Today it was a sunny day, for a change.
Cdr Nanda Kumar Parrat, my friend and course mate, returned to his home at Udumalpet by a KSRTC bus by a half past 11. It was nice to be interacting with him after a long time!
Indira kunjamma underwent two surgeries, in quick succession, whereby her skull has been opened up to ease the pressure of a bulging left brain. Consequently, she's been buttoned up on a ventilator. Meanwhile, her bulge has reduced considerably.
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