Drone cameras undertake surveillance of Chamundi Hills forest

Mysuru: The Chamundi Hill, nestled adjacent to cultural city is not just a sacred site dedicated to the presiding deity, Chamundeshwari , but also an expansive area of 1,516 acres rich in forest resources. This hill suffers from fire incidents every summer, making the conservation of its forest wealth critical. To combat this, the forest department has adopted drone surveillance.

Reports have surfaced regarding incidents of arson during the summer season on Chamundi Hill, with occurrences documented last month in areas like Bandipalya and Lalitadripura. These incidents have led to the destruction of hundreds of acres of forest. The forest department, with the assistance of the fire department, has been working tirelessly to extinguish the blazes. To prevent future disasters of this nature, the department has taken proactive measures.

To prevent recurring fire accidents, drone surveillance is being conducted from watch towers in the forested areas of Lalitadripura and Uttanahalli. The drones will monitor the forest for a duration of 30 minutes at a time, capturing images of suspicious individuals in the area and reporting them to the forest department. Staff members from the forest department operate in three shifts, conducting drone operations from watch towers located in the volcanic region of Chamundi Hill, as well as in areas like Konnanere and Kuntigallu. Additionally, patrol operations are being carried out in three different parts of the Chamundi Hill forest.

Every summer, the arson activities lead to the devastation of vast forest areas, along with the loss of biodiversity and valuable medicinal plants, resulting in the death of wildlife.

The implementation of drone surveillance aims not only to deter acts of arson but also to keep an eye on the movements of suspicious individuals.

Through drone camera monitoring from the watch towers and the vigilant patrolling by staff, it has become possible to prevent fire incidents and detect unauthorized access to the forested areas of Chamundi Hill.

Currently, drone surveillance is being conducted from the areas surrounding three watch towers in the forest, with operations under the supervision of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Dr. J.N. Basavaraj.