With seven elephants being killed by a speeding goods train less than a month after they were declared national heritage animals, Minister of State for Forests and Environment Jairam Ramesh will meet with the Railway Board next week and urge concrete steps to prevent future tragedies.
Mr. Ramesh, who is currently in New York, has expressed his anguish and unhappiness with the Railways track record. “This is not the first time that such a mishap has taken place, although the scale with which it has taken place now is unprecedented particularly in the northeast frontier,” he said in a statement on Friday.
In fact, there have been 150 such jumbo deaths on the rail tracks since 1987, according to a recent report of the Elephant Task Force set up by the Environment Ministry. The report suggested slower train speeds, trackers to monitor elephant herds within 5-km of the railway line, and sensors to emit warning signals on either side of the track in accident-prone areas.
“I have written a number of letters to the Minister of Railways and have personally held a number of meetings with officials of the Railway Board. We have discussed measures to be taken in order to avoid such tragedies,” said Mr. Ramesh's statement, adding that he would meet with Railway officials after his return on Sunday.
Keywords: West Bengal, Goods train, Elephants, High level meet, Preventive measures
There is a similar problem in the Walayar district of Kerala where many elephants are knocked down by high speed night trains passing through forest area.Rail track crossing elephant corridor should be treated in the same way as regular rail/road crossing. Instead of allowing the train to go overhead on elevated tracks, it will be better to construct 3 to 4 Km long underground tunnels for the trains to cross the elephant corridor. Trains going underground will cause much less disurbance to elephants than an overhead train. To guide the elephants to the 3/4 Km gap, funnel-shaped fencing can be installed on both sides.
2 parts- First, the big problem of endangered wildlife and its habitat and the second a procedural solution from the report - reduce speed, blah blah.
Can’t the rail road running through the forest be banned? It’s like asking to our self would it be ok to lay a rail road inside our home and get hit?
The Maoists fight hard - "we don't want materialistic development and infrastructure at the cost of natural destruction. We are fine with everything the forest provides. We are self sufficient. If you can’t help us at least don’t make us internally displaced people/ eliminate us in our own land. "
Is this happening because the wild can’t speak out or wield arms? Or also because we are all silent and let this holocaust happen.
I do not understand this.
Regarding the tragic and unnecessary death of seven elephants crushed to death by a train in India:
I was deeply upset by this story. I am humbled by the courage, devotion and respect for life these elephants demonstrated by giving their lives for their young.
I was not aware of this problem before. But now I am.
Could we all join together and take action to help these elephants?
I am not a wildlife biologist. However, I have some thoughts. This tragedy took place in area that is well known as a corridor used by elephants. If 15 or 20 miles of this train's tracks through the most important and most used portion of the elephant corridor were to be elevated by a railway trestle or similar structure, most of the elephants could pass safely below it.
The World Bank offers grants for this kind of project under its Global Environmental Facility (GEF). I believe we should bring this idea to the attention of Robert Zoellick, president of The World Bank. This is how to share your thoughts with him:
Mr. Robert Zoellick
Office of the President
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433 USA
TEL: (202) 473-1000
FAX: (202) 477-6391
We can help these wonderful elephants! Let's do it. - Reg Crowder
How heart wrenching an incident !! This accident would not have happened but for the appalling callousness and indifference to animal lives of that driver , in addition to his total disregard to the speed to be maintained . Such heinious acts should be adequately punished as a deterrent measure.
Like the value of human lives, the railway company has no value for animals.Infact the railway company has no value for its own employees. So why so much hue and cry over the incident?
Please Email the Editor