Umaria (Mahya Pradesh): To protect villages near forests from wild elephant attacks, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has launched a special mobile app called ‘Gajrakhshak’.
The app will help track the live location of elephants and send alerts to people living in nearby areas.
This move aims to reduce human-elephant conflict and keep both animals and villagers safe.
According to information, the app was launched on Tiger Day (July 29) and is now being downloaded on the phones of forest staff as well as local villagers.
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It will send live elephant location updates and notifications to users so they can stay alert and avoid danger.
Previous incidents
In November 2024, two wild elephants in Madhya Pradesh were fitted with radio collars for the first time. These elephants usually move in groups. A forest department team will track them and share their live location through the app.
In recent months, there have been many cases of elephants entering villages and attacking people, which led to injuries and deaths. These incidents have made people angry and scared. One such serious case happened in October 2024, when ten elephants died mysteriously in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve within three days.
It was first believed to be a result of human-elephant conflict, but later investigations found that they had died after eating poisonous kodo grain.
The forest department now wants to avoid such conflicts by using the app as a safety and awareness tool.
Back in August 2018, a group of 60 wild elephants came from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Since then, they have settled in Madhya Pradesh. Their presence has often created fear in nearby villages across Umaria, Anuppur, Shahdol, Mandla, Dindori, and Balaghat districts. People living in mud houses face the most risk, especially when elephants come close without warning and destroy homes or eat crops.
With the help of the Gajrakhshak app, people will now receive timely alerts, allowing them to prepare and stay safe. This will help reduce panic and prevent dangerous situations.
Subhranjan Sen, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), said that the app is not only for the safety of those living in elephant-affected areas but also an important step towards reducing human-elephant conflict.
Other steps already taken include :
Solar power fencing
Sensor alarms
Forming local elephant response teams
WhatsApp groups for monitoring
Local and national awareness workshops
The Gajrakhshak app is expected to play a major role in keeping both humans and elephants safe, and maintaining peace in forest-border areas.
