March 2026. In the deep forests of the Sundarbans, you can hear not just the roar of a tiger or the footsteps of a deer, but also the buzzing of drones sometimes breaking the forest’s silence.
The Smart Patrolling 2.0′ project, created by the Forest Department and local tech experts, has made the Sundarbans the first ‘Digitally Protected Mangrove Forest’ in the world. This is not just a technological development, it is a revolutionary turning point in protecting the Sundarbans’ ecosystem.
When Drones and AI Guard the World’s Largest Mangrove
A long study of drones and satellite technology shows that by 2026, Forest Guards will not have to travel to every remote area of the Sundarbans. Drones called ‘Eyes of the Forest’ automatically patrol hundreds of kilometers every day by following GPS maps.
These drones have heat sensors and smart cameras. They quickly send a warning to the control room if they spot an illegal person or poacher in the forest. Since this technology was introduced in 2025, illegal logging and deer hunting in the Sundarbans have gone down by about 80 percent.
This special feature of 2026 highlights another amazing use of drones—‘seed-bombing’ or scattering seeds from the sky. Drones are dropping mangrove seeds wrapped in clay balls in the empty parts of the Sundarbans or places damaged by river erosion.
As a result, the forest area of the Sundarbans has increased by about 3 percent in the last one year, which is the highest in the last two decades, according to data from March 2026.
Sundarbans researcher Dr. Mahmud Hasan said, “Using this technology has not only made the Sundarbans safe from bandits but also protected its plants and animals.”
“However, we need to make sure that drone noise does not disturb the breeding or normal life of wildlife,” he added.
He continued and said, “This digital shield of 2026 proves that to protect the forest, not only sticks and guns are needed, but also modern brains.”
