CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has successfully deployed AI tools to prevent human-animal conflicts, a move that has significantly reduced incidents involving wild elephants, the state’s Additional Chief Secretary (Climate Change and Forests) Supriya Sahu said.
In an exclusive interview with PTI Videos, Sahu said the state is embedding technology and community participation to address issues ranging from wildlife protection to climate change and waste management.
“In Madukkarai, to prevent accidental deaths of wild elephants on railway tracks, we have deployed artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies. Cameras equipped with AI and thermal sensors have been installed along vulnerable stretches,” she said.
The initiative, she said, has helped achieve “near-zero elephant deaths” in the area as automated alerts generated by the system are shared in real time with local communities, train drivers, and forest teams.
The project is being expanded to other regions, including the Nilgiris, she added.
Sahu, who recently received the 2025 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Award, said the state is also building long-term climate models through a dedicated “Climate Studio”.