Red flag to green steel

Ex-Maoists forge new destiny in Gadchiroli Gadchiroli: The rugged, forested terrain of Gadchiroli district, long synonymous with the violence and deep-rooted anti-establishment tenets of the ‘Red Ideology’, is now witnessing a remarkable social and industrial transformation. At the Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd. (LMEL) plant in Konsari, once-feared Maoist operatives are shedding their past lives and embracing a new, respectable existence as skilled workers in a cutting-edge Direct Reduced Iron...

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Ex-Maoists forge new destiny in Gadchiroli Gadchiroli: The rugged, forested terrain of Gadchiroli district, long synonymous with the violence and deep-rooted anti-establishment tenets of the ‘Red Ideology’, is now witnessing a remarkable social and industrial transformation. At the Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd. (LMEL) plant in Konsari, once-feared Maoist operatives are shedding their past lives and embracing a new, respectable existence as skilled workers in a cutting-edge Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) and pellet plant. This ‘green steel’ project, part of LMEL’s push for an integrated steel complex in the region, is functioning not just as an industrial unit but as a crucial pillar in the Maharashtra government’s surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy. So far, LMEL, in coordination with the state government and the Gadchiroli Police, has provided employment and training to 68 surrendered Maoists and 14 members of families affected by Naxal violence, a total of 82 individuals, offering them a definitive pathway back to the mainstream. The Shift The transformation begins at the company’s dedicated Lloyds Skill Development and Training Centre at Konsari. Recognizing that many former cadres had limited formal education, the company implements a structured, skill-based rehabilitation model. They are trained in essential technical and operational skills required for plant administration, civil construction, and mechanical operations. For individuals like Govinda Atala, a former deputy commander, the change is palpable. “After surrendering, I got the right to live a new life,” Atala said. “I am very happy to get this job. I am now living my life on my own; there is no pressure on me now.” Suresh Hichame, who spent over a decade in the movement before surrendering in 2009 too echoed the sentiments. He realized the path of violence offered neither him nor his family any benefit. Moreover, his self-respecct was hurt. He knew several languages and carried out several crucial tasks for the banned organization remaining constantly under the shadow of death. Today, he works in the plant, receiving a steady monthly salary that enables him to care for his family—a basic dignity the ‘Red Ideology’ could never provide. The monthly salaries of the rehabilitated workers, typically ranging from Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000, are revolutionary in a region long characterized by poverty and lack of opportunities. Trust, Stability The employment of former Maoists is a brave and calculated risk for LMEL, an industry that historically faced stiff opposition and even violence from the left wing extremist groups. LMEL’s management, however, sees it as an investment in inclusive growth and long-term stability for the district. The LMEL has emphasized the company’s commitment to training and facilitating career growth for the local populace, including the surrendered cadres. This commitment to local workforce upskilling is proving to be a highly effective counter-insurgency strategy, chipping away at the foundation of the Maoist movement: the exploitation of local grievances and lack of economic options. The reintegration effort extends beyond the factory floor. By providing stable incomes and a sense of purpose, LMEL helps the former rebels navigate the social transition. They are now homeowners, taxpayers, and active members of the community, replacing the identity of an outlaw with that of a respected employee. This social acceptance, coupled with economic independence, is the true measure of rehabilitation. The successful employment of cadres, some of whom were once high-ranking commanders, also sends a powerful message to those still active in the jungle: the path to a peaceful and prosperous life is open and tangible. It transforms the promise of government rehabilitation into a concrete reality. The plant, with its production of iron ore and steel, is physically transforming the region into an emerging industrial hub, and in doing so, it is symbolically forging the nation’s progress out of the ashes of extremism. The coordinated effort between private industry, the state government, and the Gadchiroli police is establishing a new environment of trust, stability, and economic progress, marking Gadchiroli’s transition from a Maoist hotbed to a model of inclusive and sustainable development.

Code in the Canopy

Correspondent
May 1
3 min read

How Madhya Pradesh’s AI experiment in forest monitoring could become a model for the world

In the heart of India, a forest officer has achieved a coup of sorts that ministries and tech firms across the world are still mulling. It is marrying artificial intelligence with satellite imagery and field-level accountability to fight deforestation in real time.

Madhya Pradesh, the state with India’s largest forest cover, is now the first in the country to pilot an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven, cloud-based forest alert system. Developed not in some private lab but by a public servant - a young Indian Forest Service officer named Akshay Rathore - it is an experiment worth watching. If it works, the system could become a template not only for India’s fragile forests but also for endangered ecosystems across the developing world.

The system, already rolled out across five forest divisions notorious for illegal tree-felling and encroachment in Guna, Shivpuri, Khandwa, Burhanpur and Vidisha, uses satellite images from Google Earth Engine, compares them across three dates, and applies a custom-built AI model to detect changes as minute as a 10-by-10 metre patch of tree cover. Alerts are pushed directly to beat guards via a mobile app. They are then expected to physically verify the site, upload geo-tagged photos and audio comments, and close the feedback loop.

This is a system designed for a country where manpower is stretched and terrain is often inaccessible and given that traditional monitoring methods, usually paper-based or relying on bureaucratic relays, are ill-suited to respond to dynamic threats.

While Madhya Pradesh may have 85,724 sq km of forest and tree cover (according to the Forest Survey of India’s 2023 report), it also leads the country in forest loss, with 612 sq km lost that year alone. Rathore’s system does more than just flag these changes. It classifies them, analyses their vegetation index (NDVI, SAVI, and EVI, for those who like acronyms) and sets up the ground force for real-time response.

Rathore, an alumnus of IIT Roorkee, built the initial Python scripts himself by using ChatGPT to streamline some of the scripting while leaning on lessons learned from an earlier encroachment flare-up in Guna.

The best innovations in governance are often not those with the largest budgets or biggest private partners, but those born out of institutional urgency and local knowledge. Consider Kenya’s use of blockchain to verify land titles or Indonesia’s ‘One Map’ policy to integrate spatial data for forest governance. India, with its complex land politics and mounting ecological pressures, needs more such bottom-up, tech-enabled models.

Still, the Madhya Pradesh model is far from perfect. Human verification, though necessary for now, slows down the system and leaves room for neglect. But Phase 2 of the project, which proposes to use drones and historical seasonal data to train predictive models, could address this.

There are reasons for caution. AI-based governance tools often raise concerns about surveillance, data misuse and overreliance on algorithms. But the potential here is vast. The approach blends precision with scalability. A 10-by-10 metre resolution is good enough to catch most illegal activities without overwhelming field staff. The alert-to-action loop means the system is not just diagnostic but operational. Over time, as the model learns from on-ground feedback, it promises to be self-improving. Think of it as the Waze of forest governance except instead of navigating traffic, it is routing patrols to illegal loggers and encroachers.

The Indian state is often accused of being sluggish, reactive and under-resourced. But this experiment shows what is possible when the state leverages both its local intelligence and cutting-edge tech.

Whether Madhya Pradesh’s system will scale to other parts of India remains to be seen. Bureaucratic rivalries, budget constraints and technical hurdles are real. But in a country where forests are both sacred groves and political battlegrounds, and where climate change is no longer a future threat but a lived reality, Rathore’s AI system offers a fighting chance to protect forests.

Red flag to green steel

Code in the Canopy

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