Trees in Karnataka to get unique IDs with geo-tagging pilot at IISc

Karnataka’s forest department begins a pioneering project to geo-tag trees with AI-enabled chips, starting at IISc Bengaluru, before expanding across the state.

Karnataka is preparing to give its trees a digital identity. The state forest department has launched a pilot project at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, where trees will be geo-tagged and assigned unique identification numbers.

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The initiative aims to scientifically monitor trees by recording their age, species, girth, canopy cover, soil condition, and overall health. Officials say this data will help identify native, non-native, heritage, and endangered species while offering insights into conservation needs.

IISc was chosen for the pilot since its century-old trees and biodiversity-rich campus provide a secure environment where tags are unlikely to be stolen. The exercise also complies with Karnataka High Court’s directive that trees should not be nailed, so AI-enabled microchips and tags will be tied securely instead.

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Experts at IISc believe the project will offer a deeper understanding of Bengaluru’s changing green cover over time. If successful, it will be extended to select districts in central and north Karnataka and eventually across the state. Similar studies could later be replicated in other universities with heritage tree canopies, such as GKVK, Dharwad University, and Mysore University.

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The department has previously experimented with tagging—most notably on 210 Silver Oak trees in Tarikere in 2018-19—but the initiative faded after the trees were axed. With technology advancing to AI-enabled microchips, officials are confident of better success this time.

A mobile application is being developed to monitor and manage the tagged trees, with special emphasis on high-value species like sandalwood and teak that require extra protection.

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