Impact analysis of SMS-triggered elephant activity alert lights

Authors

  • Sanjoy Deb Department of ECE, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, Tamil Nadu 638401, India.
  • Sannasi Chakravarthy Surulimani Ramaraj Department of ECE, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, Tamil Nadu 638401, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0162-7206
  • Sharmila Arumugam Department of ECE, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, Tamil Nadu 638401, India.
  • Saravana Kumar Radhakrishnan School of Electronics Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600127, India.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9750.18.4.28662-28667

Keywords:

Accidental encounters, Bannerghatta National Park, forest department, human-elephant negative interactions, implementation strategy, socio-economic issue, sound alert system

Abstract

Human-elephant negative interactions typically arise when elephants enter human settlements in search of food, water, migratory routes, or other resources. Each year, accidental encounters with elephants in areas near reserve forests result in the deaths of hundreds of people. To address this challenge, the Bannerghatta National Park Forest Department has implemented a solution based on a straightforward conflict management approach, utilizing an SMS-based light and sound alert system to notify locals of elephant activity. To help reduce the risk of such encounters, 40 SMS-triggered elephant activity alert lights have been strategically placed across four ranges. We have partnered as the technology provider for this initiative. This paper presents an overview of the system’s hardware architecture, the site selection process, the implementation strategy, and an evaluation of its technical performance and effectiveness over an eight-month period. This large-scale implementation of an elephant alert system offers valuable insights into potential usage in other conflict-prone areas.

References

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Published

26-04-2026

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 4 (2026)

Section

Communications

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Sanjoy Deb, Sannasi Chakravarthy Surulimani Ramaraj, Sharmila Arumugam, Saravana Kumar Radhakrishnan

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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