Angul: The forest department has launched a mobile phone-based app which will alert people of approaching elephant herds. The app has been launched by the Angul forest department. There have been numerous instances of human-elephant conflict in Angul district. Forest department officials feel that this app will help residents of the district by warning them of approaching jumbos. The app was launched at the local Odisha Forest Rangers’ College here Saturday.
The ‘Angul Banasathi’ app can help avert untoward elephant-human conflicts and confrontations. The app will alert forest department staff whenever a herd strays away from its original path and comes close to human locality. Villagers who will volunteer and register themselves under this app will act as agents between the forest department and local residents.
The ‘Angul Banasathi’ app will be functional in Angul, Banarpal, Talcher, Kaniha and Chhendipada forest ranges in the district. Villagers can download this app from Google Play Store free of cost. It will help them stay connected with Angul forest division officials. A centralised control room to monitor the movements of elephants will start soon under this forest division, Angul divisional forest officer Kartik Prakash informed.
“Real-time confrontations between elephants and humans can be averted as information on movements of jumbos can be easily passed on to local residents and vice versa through this app thereby facilitating exchange of useful information”, Prakash said.
Locals can pass information about other wild animals as well as illegal activities going on in forests, directly by dialing toll free number (18003155555). The app will be beneficial for obtaining three types of services. It will provide information on wild animals, also complaints can be lodged and the app will provide news about distribution of free saplings.
PNN