Today, in a virtual event attended by functionaries from the Wildlife Institute of India [WTI], Karnataka forest officials, experts and the media fraternity, a first of its kind technology was launched to help in the efficient management of crimes against wildlife.
The wildlife crime management system is a portal that maintains digital data of wildlife in India including the criminal cases and details of the accused. The portal is named as HAWK [Hostile Watch Activity Kernel] and is launched by the Wildlife Institute of India in collaboration with the Karnataka Forest Department. It is developed by the Japan-based NTT data.
Jose Louies, joint director and chief of WTI’s Wildlife Crime Control mentioned at the launch that HAWK will bring together various facets of crime against wildlife in India and will help in curbing activities detrimental to the wildlife.
“The system has built-in analytical capabilities which will help officials to monitor information related to wildlife death, wildlife crime, and court cases across the state,” Louies.
Louies added that HAWK will also have features like details about the database of vehicles and firearms that are used in wildlife crimes.
While exemplifying the application of the HAWK system, Louies recalled a case in which a repeat offender of wildlife crimes who was caught in Karnataka and was brought before a court in the state while his lawyer was advocating for his innocence.
“The data from HAWK showed that he had committed wildlife crimes 19 times in the past and he was swiftly sent to custody,” he said.
The HAWK was launched in Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve for the first time in 2019 followed by its launch in Karnataka last year.
HAWK not only helps in the digitisation of India’s forests but also helps in keeping a tab on the pending criminal cases which can help the officials in pressing for early prosecution.
Gauri Bahulkar, director of marketing and communications, at NTT Data Services mentioned at the launch that the software is designed in a way that it keeps track of every time a user accesses the portal and helps in efficient management of wildlife crimes which will help India curb poaching and smuggling of wildlife.
“NTT Data is committed to providing best technological solutions to help in managing the wildlife crimes in India. We hope that the HAWK will help in conserving India’s rich biodiversity,” Bahulkar said.
Answering a question on the possibility of the misuse of the portal by vested interests, Louies stated that any addition or deletion of data on the portal is accounted for.
“Suppose there is an official who wishes to remove the name of an accused in a certain case, its deletion will be recorded and the official’s name will also show in the records. Also, a case file cannot be unlocked for making changes once an FIR [first information report] is registered which is 24 hours within the time of incidence of the crime,” he said.
According to the official website of WTI, HAWK works on military intelligence gathering principals which are used across the world to prevent serious organised crime such as terrorist attacks.
“This methodology is currently successfully used in African countries to manage the threat of elephant poaching and ivory trade networks across many countries,” it mentions.
