In a pioneering move towards wildlife conservation, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently unveiled the Gajraj System, an innovative AI-driven initiative aimed at providing timely alerts to train operators about the presence of elephants on railway tracks. This proactive approach seeks to mitigate the risk of tragic train-elephant collisions, addressing a critical concern for both wildlife preservation and rail safety.
The extensive deployment of the Gajraj System along a 700-kilometer stretch of railway tracks involves a commendable financial commitment of ₹181 crore. Minister Vaishnaw highlighted the collaborative efforts between Indian Railways and innovative start-ups, citing the system’s successful trial on a 150-kilometer section in Assam last year as evidence of its efficacy.
Minister Vaishnaw emphasized the significant impact of the Gajraj System, revealing that continuous enhancements have boosted its accuracy to an impressive 99.5% in detecting elephants on tracks. Encouraged by positive outcomes, railway officials are actively working with forest departments to identify additional areas for expanding the project, demonstrating a commitment to ongoing improvement guided by field experience.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) wholeheartedly endorsed the success of the Gajraj System in preventing elephant fatalities due to train collisions. Implemented in 11 elephant corridors in the Northeast, the system issued a remarkable 9,768 alerts within eight months, leading to the complete elimination of train-elephant collisions in the specified corridors.
At the core of the Gajraj System is its Intrusion Detection System (IDS), generating alerts to train controllers, station masters, and drivers when an elephant approaches the track, reported Livemint.Utilizing the existing optical fiber cable (OFC) beneath the tracks, originally laid for telecommunication and signaling, the system captures vibrations caused by approaching elephants, reported Real-time alerts are then dispatched to the division control room and a dedicated mobile application. The system showcases its effectiveness by reliably detecting and locating moving elephants up to 5 meters from the fiber optical cable.
The introduction of the Gajraj System by Indian Railways signifies a monumental stride in preserving the lives of elephants and preventing tragic accidents on railway tracks. As the success of the Intrusion Detection System becomes increasingly evident in the Northeast, optimism prevails that such innovative measures will usher in a new era, making train-elephant collisions a distant and unfortunate memory.
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