In order to ensure safety and prompt rescue of a trekker caught in an
accident or an unforeseen disaster along the foot trails, the Annapurna
Conservation Area Project has introduced ‘E-tags (Entity Tags).
The E-tag comes as a huge sigh of relief for the country’s ailing
tourism sector as it had been lacking a proper mechanism to ensure the
safety of trekkers. The system, however, is not a gear to protect
trekkers; instead, it is a device that locates the trekker lost in the woods or in need of rescue.
The E-tag was designed by Mahabir Pun, the Magsaysay award winner known
best for his contribution to connecting remote parts of the country
through wireless technology.
The Asia-Pacific Tele Community in Bangkok, Thailand funded the
project. In the first phase, E-tags have been distributed to trekkers in
the Ghandruk-Ghodepani area of the Annapurna foot trail.
The control room is at the ACAP headquarters. ACAP has appointed a
separate operator to monitor the technology. The E-tag is designed in a
way that does not infringe upon the right to privacy and security of the
bearer and only contains the name, address, and their current location,
the developers have claimed.
E-tags do not rely on the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Global
Positioning Radio System (GPRS) technology. It transmits signals
through relay stations placed at various locations. Although the process
is a bit lengthy, the trekkers will no longer need to carry a satellite
phone.
Trekkers can get the device after depositing Rs 1,000 to the ACAP
centre and they will be refunded once they safely return the device. The
control room at the ACAP office will maintain a record of the date of
arrival, and the destination reached by the trekkers.
The Nepal Wireless Networking Project led by Pun has installed
solar-powered relay stations at Birekathi, Ghandruk, Tshomrong,
Annapurna Base Camp Deurali, Pritamdeurali in Kaski, and Ghodepani and
Sikh in Myagdi for constant monitoring.
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