In a bid to strengthen patrolling and surveillance of the endangered tigers, the Government is introducing a software-based monitoring system at tiger reserves across the country.

Launching M-STrIPES, a software-based monitoring system for tigers on Wednesday, the Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, said it would be implemented at six major tiger reserves on a pilot basis over the next two months.

The pilot will be rolled out at tiger reserves in Corbett (Uttarakhand), Ranthambore (Rajasthan), Kanha (Madhya Pradesh), Bhadra (Karnataka), Anamalai (Tamil Nadu) and Nagarjunasagar (Andhra Pradesh)

As part of M-STrIPES system, forest guards in tiger reserves would be equipped with personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Geographical Positioning System (GPS) devices to capture data relating to tiger sightings, wild life crime, deaths and ecological monitors among others while patrolling.

The data captured by the field staff is uplinked to a central server, which can be accessed and analysed by officials at the site-level, state or central level on a period basis.

The software system would also map the patrol routes of the forest guards and monitor distribution of different animal species among others. “The M-STrIPES system will ensure effective patrolling and surveillance by field directors at the ground level,” Mr Ramesh said.

Besides, it would also bring in transparency and make data reporting more reliable, he added.

Mr Y.V.Jhala of the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India said the system would help provide early warnings on poaching or habitat degradation in specific areas .

The software developed by the Zoological Society of London has been customised for India by the National Tiger Conservation Authority in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India.