Three days after an adult female elephant was fatally knocked down by a train at Ettimadai, near Coimbatore, Southern Railway has started efforts to revive a proposal with an expected expense of Rs.30 crore to construct elephant crossing corridors beneath the tracks between Kanjikode, near here, and Madukkarai in Tamil Nadu.
Revival of the project that was shelved years ago for want of funds is expected to prevent elephant causalities caused by speeding trains inside the Walayar forests spread in the two neighbouring States.
The project involves erecting electric fences between Kanjikode and Madukkarai to prevent animals from entering the tracks. According to sources, Railway officials would soon convene a meeting of forest officials in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu to work out the modalities for the project.
Existing lines ineffective
Existing electric fences along tracks on the 20-km Madukkarai-Walayar stretch had turned ineffective as elephants knock them down during power shutdown. The revived project would have provision for periodic maintenance of fences.
As an immediate measure, railways would install two dozen solar-powered LED lights at major curves in the B line of the stretch that passes through dense forest area, where there are many migratory paths of elephants. Though no major elephant casualty involving trains was reported from the region in the past three years, over 20 of them were killed in the stretch in the past 15 years. Majority of the deaths were reported from the Kerala side of the rail stretch.
Funds
Railway officials have approached Palakkad MP M.B. Rajesh to get funds from his local area development fund for the project. They are also expecting funds from the corporate social responsibility initiatives of major private firms.
Meanwhile, New Delhi-based Wildlife Protection Society of India has urged Railways to ensure a permanent monitoring facility to restrict speed of trains to 20 km per hour within the Walayar forest area. Society South India coordinator S. Guruvayurappan demanded legal action against the loco pilot who caused the elephant causality on Monday.
He also demanded measures to clear obstacles in the traditional migratory paths of the elephants in the region.
