E-eye may soon keep track of tigers in country

New Delhi: An ambitious e-eye surveillance system being implemented by the Centre may soon be expanded to keep track of tigers in wildlife sanctuaries and to prevent poaching and animal-human conflict.

The surveillance system has already been installed in Jim Corbett national park in Uttarakhand, Kaziranga tiger reserve in Assam and Ratapani wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh with financial assistance from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently constituted a group of officers to undertake a performance audit of e-eye system, according to documents accessed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey.

The group was asked "to assess overall impression and suggest ways for prospective extension of e-surveillance to the other tiger reserves". It was also asked to visit all states and tiger reserves for the purpose.

Forest officials said that the electronic surveillance system is bringing good results and it may be expanded to other tiger reserves across in the country.

"The e-eye is a unique system. Authorities must ensure that it is implemented in all the tiger reserves so that the movement of the big cats can be monitored. It can also check poaching and animal-human conflict," said Dubey.

The e-eye is a software-based system where high resolution thermal and infrared cameras capture all activities. The tiger population in the country had risen to 2,226 in 2014 from 1,706 in 2010.

There have been reports of 24 tiger deaths so far this year as against 69 last year. There have been 11 instances of seizure of tiger body parts so far this year.