ITDA Utnoor, IIIT Hyderabad develop AI app to translate Gondi and Kolami into Telugu

ITDA Utnoor and IIIT Hyderabad have developed Swechcha, an AI-powered application that translates Gondi and Kolami into Telugu. The app aims to simplify grievance reporting, preserve endangered tribal languages and improve communication between indigenous communities and government officials.

Adilabad: The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA)-Utnoor, in collaboration with IIIT-Hyderabad is developing an artificial intelligence and android based application, titled Swechcha. The novel initiative, aimed at translating languages of aboriginal tribals into Telugu and enabling them to a ensure seamless grievance reporting to officials, is going to be launched soon.

The ITDA-Utnoor officials said that the application could easily translate Gondi and Kolami languages into Telugu. A team of 30 language teachers are contributing to the project. Tribal people, who predominantly communicate in Gondi and Kolami languages, will be able to bring their challenges to the notice of authorities anytime and from anywhere effortlessly.

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According to the officials, the application is a brainchild of ITDA Utnoor Project Officer Manda Makarandu, who is known for expertise in leveraging AI. The agency joined hands with reputed IIIT-Hyderabad in order to design the application. Language experts have already compiled a database of 20,000 words from the two languages and 200 hours of audio records to train the system.

Led by Gondi language Coordinator Devrao, his counterpart for Kolami, Yashwanth Rao, the team members Lal Shav, Om Prakash Mothiram, Singanna and others are extending their support to the agency in digitalisation of the languages. They noted that the application could translate spoken Gondi and Kolami languages into both voice and text in Telugu with the help of AI.

Besides bridging the language gap, the officials hoped ‘Swechcha’ would streamline grievances redress system and reduce dependence on middlemen, who often misinterpret issues. The technology can also play a vital role in preserving the endangered tribal languages. It could also serve a valuable tool for non-native speakers in learning both Gondi and Kolami languages.

Incidentally, Makarandu who is the driving force behind the project, will be the second IAS officer, an alumnus of IIT-Bombay, to break language barriers for tribal communities from this region. The then Collector Divya Devarajan had learnt Gondi language by taking assistance from senior announcer of All India Radio in 2018, setting a precedent engagement with tribal languages in administration and addressing challenges of ethnic tribes.