Think twice before cutting trees in Hyderabad

Over 50 trees in the Botanical Garden at Kothaguda have been equipped with a tree protection system that will send alerts when an attempt to harm them is made

Hyderabad: Those indulging in illegal tree logging will now have to think twice before they strike their axe, as there is now technological messiah for these trees.

Over 50 trees in the Botanical Garden at Kothaguda have been equipped with a tree protection system that will send alerts when an attempt to harm them is made. This is a pilot project by the Telangana State Forest Development Corporation Limited (TSFDC) and this technology is expected to be rolled out to save trees in the State.

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The innovative solution was developed by a Bengaluru-based agritech startup CB IoT Technologies Pvt Ltd. Around 2,000 trees in the country are protected using their technology and they have now set up shop in Hyderabad to conserve more.

“When any illegal attempt to chop down the tree is made, our sensor sends alerts to the registered users. It even sends WhatsApp messages within a fraction of a second. In addition to that, an alarm will also be set off in that area,” says Satyanarayana Choppadhandi, founder.

The device, which is just a tad bigger than a regular AA battery, is installed on a tree’s branch at a height of 10 feet above the ground. These sensors are used only for trees older than eight years, as they develop hardwood making them most vulnerable for logging. Foolproofing the device, any attempt to disarm or break the sensor will also set off an alarm.

Although each sensor now costs somewhere between Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000, Satyanarayana says they hope to reduce the price soon. The batteries on the device must be changed only once in three years, making it easy to maintain them.

Indicating that more trees in the city will be protected by their sensors soon, he says, “By the end of September, we will be installing around 200 sensors at the Zoo Park in Hyderabad. We are also expecting orders for another 600 trees in Telangana, including from GHMC and Cantonment area.”

The company also plans to introduce a camera that would flock to the site when an alert is sent. Apart from that, they are coming up with QR codes on trees which when scanned will provide information about the species.