Watch that SMS, a rampaging elephant is coming your way!

Check this not-that-usual use of mobile technology. It’s happening in India, where the forestry department of Jharkhand State has started handing out free mobile phones to villages to warn them of rampaging elephants. Some 600 villages will take part in the project, and so far the State has handed out more than 100 phones.

Commenting on the initiation, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) A.K. Singh said: “Mobiles are being distributed to one member of the Joint Forest and Village Defence Committee (JFVDC) member of each village. The mobile has all the relevant numbers of the forest department so that the officials can be informed about the movement of rampaging elephants. We have also constituted flying squads who rush to villages where elephant movements are seen. The flying squad members drive away the elephants to save the villagers,” he added.

Just imagine an SMS – “There are rampaging elephants coming your way!” Sounds kinda silly, but it’s a serious danger. As a matter of fact, over 1,000 people have been injured by rampaging elephants, and 679 have died, since 2000. Hopefully, this project will help the local people get the life-saving information on time…

[Via: CellularNews, image from nytimes.com]