In India's Punjab province, an innovative campaign to curb illegal logging and fight timber mafias is underway. For the first time, the National Forestry Ministry has adopted the initiative of implanting radio frequency identification (RFID) chips in trees in this area, opening up a new way for tree protection.
RFID technology, which uses radio waves to track objects or people without physical contact, has been given a new mission - to guard the green treasure of the forest. Each RFID chip costs about Rs 2,500, but the value they can provide far exceeds their price. The chips act as guardians of the trees, recording their growth in real time and keenly detecting any attempts to cut them down.
The pilot project was launched in the Lower Shvalik Hills of Mohali district bordering Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, an area that has been hit hard by illegal logging due to its location. The forestry department has identified 15 vulnerable areas along the Siswan-Badi road and in Murampur and Mirzabur districts as the first pilot to install "smart guards" on trees in these areas. Among the many tree species, the khair tree bears the brunt of the high demand for wood. "kattha" and "cutch" extracted from the khair tree are key ingredients in the production of "paan" and medicines, while Cutch also acts as an additive and preservative in the tanning industry. These valuable uses have made the khair tree a thorn in the side of illegal loggers. To protect this rare tree, more than 200 RFID chips have been implanted into mature khair trees.
The use of RFID technology to protect rare trees is not only a practice of technological innovation, but also a firm commitment to the ecological environment and sustainable development. This initiative in Punjab provides valuable experience and inspiration for other regions to look forward to a greener and more harmonious natural environment
In India's Punjab province, an innovative campaign to curb illegal logging and fight timber mafias is underway. For the first time, the National Forestry Ministry has adopted the initiative of implanting radio frequency identification (RFID) chips in trees in this area, opening up a new way for tree protection.
RFID technology, which uses radio waves to track objects or people without physical contact, has been given a new mission - to guard the green treasure of the forest. Each RFID chip costs about Rs 2,500, but the value they can provide far exceeds their price. The chips act as guardians of the trees, recording their growth in real time and keenly detecting any attempts to cut them down.
The pilot project was launched in the Lower Shvalik Hills of Mohali district bordering Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, an area that has been hit hard by illegal logging due to its location. The forestry department has identified 15 vulnerable areas along the Siswan-Badi road and in Murampur and Mirzabur districts as the first pilot to install "smart guards" on trees in these areas. Among the many tree species, the khair tree bears the brunt of the high demand for wood. "kattha" and "cutch" extracted from the khair tree are key ingredients in the production of "paan" and medicines, while Cutch also acts as an additive and preservative in the tanning industry. These valuable uses have made the khair tree a thorn in the side of illegal loggers. To protect this rare tree, more than 200 RFID chips have been implanted into mature khair trees.
The use of RFID technology to protect rare trees is not only a practice of technological innovation, but also a firm commitment to the ecological environment and sustainable development. This initiative in Punjab provides valuable experience and inspiration for other regions to look forward to a greener and more harmonious natural environment