The chips are not down for these trees

Mature sandalwood trees in Bengaluru to have anti-theft sensors to alert guards

The Institute of Wood Science and Technology in Bengaluru. K. Gopinathan

The sprawling campus of the Institute of Wood Science and Technology in the heart of Bengaluru is heavily guarded: 10-feet-high walls are lined with glass pieces, four security guards conduct patrols, and an alarm system is in place to ring out if an intruder is detected.

The security apparatus is focussed on 200 sandalwood trees. Ironically, even with protection, 39 trees, worth crores of rupees, have been stolen since 2010. Fear of theft has prompted the institute to voluntarily cut down 38 mature sandalwood trees.

The IWST has decided that more needs to be done. It is going hi-tech, using sensors and software applications. After successful trials, over 45 sandalwood trees now have camouflaged bark-coloured chips that can detect any attempt at felling. “The chip senses vibrations and can differentiate between those caused by natural forces (rain, wind or animals) and those produced by axes and saws. The alert goes out through an app to security guards and officers,” said Surendra Kumar, the Director of IWST.

The officer has nurtured the idea of using sensors since his posting in Marayur in Idukki, Kerala, one of the last bastions of natural sandalwood trees. But the project took shape only after Hitachi India got involved under its Corporate Social Responsibility plan.

Hitachi technicians say the nearly 1 square inch chip contains an accelerometer and a radio frequency emitter that allows the sensors to connect to an internet gateway.

Cheaper sensors

Currently, a sensor costs around ₹800 but with mass manufacture, the price could come down to ₹200, making it viable for embedding in plantations and even across forests.

Bengaluru has a troubled history with sandalwood trees. In the past few years, those in the Forest Department’s headquarters have been stolen. Trees at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters, Freedom Park, the State’s historic Balabrooie Guest House, at Karnataka Soaps and Detergents, which makes Mysore Sandal Soap, and on Bengaluru University campus have been hacked and pulled down by gangs.