Kundan Kumar

Name	Kundan Kumar
Designation	Associate Professor
Service and year of allotment	IFS, 2017
Cadre	Uttarakhand

Qualification

B.E., Mechanical Engineering
AIGNFA Diploma/M.Sc. Forestry
Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law from NLSIU, Bangalore

Experience Prior to IGNFA

He has served in several field assignments in the Uttarakhand Forest Department, including Forest Divisions like Haldwani, Almora, Tarai West, Ramnagar, Tons and Research Wing, with experience in forest and wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, human–wildlife conflict mitigation, forest protection and enforcement, forest fire management, ecotourism, GIS and technology applications, research and development, ecological restoration, community participation and capacity building.

He has undertaken several innovative and technology-driven interventions in forest and wildlife management during his assignments in Uttarakhand. His initiatives include the installation of Tentacle Solar Fencing for the first time in Uttarakhand for mitigation of Human–Elephant Conflict and the establishment of a Wildlife Monitoring Cell with M-STrIPES-based patrolling in Haldwani Forest Division, introduced for the first time in a forest division outside a tiger reserve.

His work also includes application of GIS and remote-sensing technologies for natural resource and conflict management. In Tarai West Forest Division, he developed a software-based system for automated collection of transit and road fees and issuance of transit permits for River-based mining. In Ramnagar Forest Division, RS/GIS technologies were used for identification and preparation of technical management plans for 10 springsheds, integrating technology with soil and moisture conservation planning.

He has also introduced technology-based approaches to ecological restoration, including the first-ever drone-based aerial afforestation using seed balls to rejuvenate inaccessible and ecologically valuable landscapes. In the Research Wing, he promoted technology-oriented research, developed the Research Wing website, facilitated collaborative research with institutions such as SACON and JNTBGRI, and strengthened research resources through CSR partnerships.

In ecotourism and public-facing digital services, he facilitated development of official online platforms for Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary, including online booking facilities for jungle safaris and birdwatching trails. He also promoted innovative conservation-based livelihood models such as Bee-hive Fencing, solar-powered infrastructure, birdwatching trails and technology-supported ecotourism.

He has further explored AI-enabled applications in forest protection and Human–Wildlife Conflict management, with a focus on using emerging technologies to provide real-time intelligence and early warnings in forest-fringe landscapes. These initiatives include AI-enabled smart camera systems integrated with automated sirens/Early Warning Systems for vulnerable villages adjoining forests, enabling timely alerts in the event of wildlife movement and helping strengthen preventive measures for Human–Wildlife Conflict. He has also explored AI-based wildlife acoustic monitoring for biodiversity assessment and monitoring of avian species through automated analysis of acoustic signals for the first time in Uttarakhand.

Another significant technological intervention is the development of an AI-based Forest Acoustic Surveillance System using acoustic sensors, edge computing and long-range communication technologies. The system is designed to continuously monitor forest soundscapes and identify sound patterns associated with activities such as illegal tree felling, poaching and other suspicious activities, with alerts transmitted to a control room for timely response. This approach seeks to extend the surveillance capability of forest staff, particularly in remote and difficult terrain where conventional physical patrolling and visual surveillance may have limitations.

He has also authoreda book titled “Beehive Fencing for Livelihood Generation and Mitigation of Human–Wildlife Conflict”, highlighting beehive fencing as a nature-based solution for human–elephant conflict mitigation and livelihood generation.