Maharashtra deploys AI-powered MARVEL system for wildlife tracking and surveillance system

Indian Express

13-07-2025

In a significant step towards reducing human-wildlife conflict in Maharashtra, the government-led initiative MARVEL (Maharashtra Research and Vigilance for Enhanced Law Enforcement) has signed an MoU with the state forest department. The technology to be developed under this project is being adapted to forest-edge zones near tiger reserves like Tadoba, Nawegaon-Nagzira and Pench, as well as proposed areas like Ramtek, Deolapar, Parashivni, and Pauni.
MARVEL was initially developed for law enforcement surveillance and is harnessing its AI-driven capabilities in governance-related interventions. In the case of the forest department, the project aims to detect and deter wildlife from entering villages, ensuring both human safety and animal conservation using AI capabilities. The system deploys smart camera poles equipped with AI modules near forest boundaries. These function as 'virtual walls,' automatically detecting approaching animals and triggering gentle deterrents, such as lights and sounds, to nudge them back into the forest. This soft, non-intrusive method is proving to be a practical solution to mitigate conflict without harming the animals.
To address the large number of innocent lives being lost to man-animal conflict, a special Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Saturday, in Nagpur, with MARVEL for remedial measures. The agreement was exchanged in the presence of Revenue Minister and Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Minister of State for Finance Ashish Jaiswal, CEO MARVEL, and district superintendent of police (rural) Dr Harssha Poddar, and senior officials of the Tiger Projects. MARVEL was established with the foresight of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to effectively use artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce accidents and crime.
Under this MoU, a total of 3,150 AI-based cameras will be installed along the borders of villages surrounding the tiger projects.
Sirens will be set up in densely populated areas of the villages and connected wirelessly to these cameras. The cameras will have technology to independently identify tigers and leopards using a combination of visual, thermal, and acoustic data. As soon as a tiger or leopard is captured by a camera, the connected sirens in the village will alert the villagers.
As per the agreement, 875 cameras and sirens will be connected in the Pench Tiger Project, 525 in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, where 140 pre-installed cameras will be upgraded with audio modules, 600 in the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve, and 1,145 units in the Nagpur Forest Division (Territorial), said Dr Harssha Poddar.
The camera systems are equipped with high-resolution sensors, night vision, and built-in microphones. They primarily use edge-based AI model inference for real-time detection, reducing latency and dependency on network connectivity, with cloud support for analytics, archival, and remote management. For better detection level alerts, we prefer to use a cloud or server, said MARVEL officials. Real-time alerts are sent through multiple channels, including SMS, mobile apps, Telegram, and local hooters. These alerts are available in regional languages and typically reach stakeholders within seconds, due to the system's sub-second processing capability.
Pilot deployments near Tadoba have already shown positive outcomes, informed the officials. Human-wildlife interactions have decreased, and no fatal incidents have been reported in the areas covered since MARVEL's implementation. Comprehensive training modules, field workshops, and remote support have been planned to ensure local staff are skilled in operating, maintaining, and expanding the AI systems.
The expansion roadmap follows a modular strategy, with each deployment phase lasting approximately 24 weeks. Initial efforts in this project focus on high-risk buffer villages, with further scale-up planned in a phase-wise manner over the next 12-18 months, depending on the outcomes.
Looking ahead, MARVEL aims to enhance its capabilities further with drone surveillance, AI-driven path prediction, and deeper analytics. Thermal imaging is already a core component, and future integrations will be pursued through partnerships with technology providers and stakeholders. The initiative is backed by a strong collaborative framework in the form of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). MARVEL operates under the Government of Maharashtra, in partnership with IIM Nagpur for academic and policy collaboration, and with Pinaca Technologies as the technical implementation partner.