Jaldapara to get solar-powered CCTV cameras to track elephant movement

Alipurduar: To curb rising instances of wild elephants straying into human settlements, the Jaldapara Forest Division has launched an advanced surveillance initiative. The division will install 30 solar-powered CCTV cameras along the officially recognised elephant corridors of Jaldapara National Park to enable round-the-clock monitoring of elephant movement.

A technology-based control room is being set up at the office of the Assistant Wildlife Warden in Madarihat, where forest officials will monitor live feeds in real time. The initiative aims to strengthen human-elephant conflict mitigation measures in the region.

Following the October 5 disaster, incidents of wild elephants entering villages in search of food have surged, reportedly due to a shortage of grass and other vegetation within the park. Over the past week, four people have died in separate elephant attacks in the Madarihat area, prompting the Forest Department to take swift preventive action.

Once operational, the control room’s contact number will be shared with local residents around the park to ensure immediate reporting of elephant sightings.

The number will also be linked to the police emergency helpline (100), allowing coordinated responses between police stations and forest staff based on the severity of the situation.

Forest officials said the real-time visuals from the cameras will help track elephant herds continuously and deploy teams quickly when needed. Warning sirens will also be installed in strategic locations to alert nearby villagers in case of imminent danger.

At present, 29 teams are deployed every night across the Jaldapara Division—nine of them covering the Madarihat area—to reduce human-elephant conflicts.

Parveen Kaswan, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Jaldapara, said, “Through this initiative, forest personnel will be able to monitor elephant movements in real time and immediately alert nearby villages and local response teams. This will help prevent loss of human lives and property. Raising awareness among villagers remains a key part of our conflict mitigation strategy through loudspeaker campaigns and direct community engagement.”

The control room is expected to become operational within a week.