Dehradun: Under a study to aid the protection of wild animals, some digital devices, including camera traps, were installed inside the Jim Corbett Reserve by male villagers and forest guards to monitor women who go into the forest to collect fodder and dried woods for fuel.
This was reported by India Today on November 25 concerning the behavioural change among the local women who were scared of entering the forests living in the fear of being seen. After two weeks, camera traps in CTR are still being used to snoop on local women despite a probe has been started by the Uttarakhand Forest Department.
Study revealed that misuse of technology invading privacy of women
A field study by Cambridge University researchers revealed that the misuse of devices such as camera traps and drones is leading to an invasion of village women’s privacy. Lead researcher Trishant Simlai, a research associate in sociology at Darwin College, Cambridge, noted that the women’s behavior was being impacted by the feeling of constant surveillance. The study highlights the misuse of technology and its life-changing impact. Local women, fearing the camera traps, have become quieter, which has proved dangerous. Tragically, a woman was killed by a tiger in the forest as talking and singing, which deter wild animals, were no longer practiced.
A woman was quoted as saying in the research paper, “Accidents occur when tigers are startled by our presence. We sing loudly before entering the forest and while collecting firewood to make them aware that we are here.”
Probe is being conducted in this matter
The Uttarakhand Forest department is conducting a probe under the Field Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve. Ranjan Mishra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, stated, “We will wait for the findings of the probe, and I am sure that the Field Director will take necessary actions.” Camera traps and other devices have been instrumental in monitoring wildlife and preventing poaching, leading to an increase in the tiger population in India’s reserves.
In buffer areas of tiger reserves, local people have more exposure to such technology
Rajiv Bhartari, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), who approved the research in Corbett, explained that the research addresses a broader issue of women’s prior informed consent when using camera traps. He encouraged researcher Trishant Simlai to include forest staff and laborers in his study, as they are also affected by surveillance technology like M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status), a software that aids in managing tiger reserves in India. Bhartari highlighted the larger issue of both forest staff and local women being impacted by surveillance technology and the need to ensure everyone’s safety. In buffer areas of tiger reserves, local people have more exposure to such technology, while in core areas, forest staff and laborers are more affected.
When the Corbett research started
The Uttarakhand Forest Department initiated the investigation on November 29. The research began as an effort to understand the implementation of forest laws and their provisions. Permission for the study on the social implications of digital surveillance in forests was granted in 2019. Despite ordering a probe following media attention on the invasion of women’s privacy in Corbett Tiger Reserve, there is no set timeline for the investigation, and top officials have not promised any immediate corrective measures.
