Permanent Body to Prevent Elephant Deaths on Railway Tracks

March 31, 2022

A permanent coordination committee has been set up by the Union Environment Ministry that also includes the Ministry of Railways to prevent the deaths of elephants on railway tracks.

Overview:

In 2018-19, 19 elephants were killed on railway tracks across the country.
In 2019-20, 14 elephants were killed and in 2020-21 the number stands at 12.
Several steps have been taken to reduce the number of elephants’ deaths on railway tracks.
According to a Comptroller and Auditor General report, the second-largest reason for the deaths of elephants in an unnatural manner was railway collisions.

The steps taken to prevent the deaths of elephants on railway tracks

The steps taken include

making temporary as well as permanent restrictions on speed in areas identified as elephant habitats and corridors and habitats,
ramps and underpasses have also been built for the easy movement of elephants,
at selected locations fencing have been provided,
signages have been erected to warn the drivers of the trains about elephant corridors,
station masters and the crew of the trains have been sensitized so that train collisions with elephants are avoided,
vegetation on the sides of the track has also been cleared,
Forest Department staff have also been deputized to liaison with the railway authorities,
the forest departments have engaged elephant trackers so that they can alert engine drivers and station masters,
Meetings have been held between railway departments and state forest departments.

Publishing of a document

The Wildlife Institute of India, which falls under the ambit of the Environment Ministry, has published a document titled ‘Eco-Friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure’ with the aim of assisting the various agencies in designing infrastructure to reduce animal-human conflicts. This document has been published in consultation with the National Highway Authority, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, World Bank Group, and National Tiger Conservation Authority.

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