GUWAHATI: Various preventive measures initiated by the N.F. Railway have resulted into saving of more than 140 elephants during the current year. It may be mentioned here that more than 165 wild elephants could be saved last year too due to alertness of railway staff.
Although there are 67 notified elephant corridors which are notified jointly in consultation with the forest department of the respective state in five divisions of NFR (Katihar-1, Alipuruar-22, Rangiya-23, Lumding-16 and Tinsukia-5); it has been noticed that wild elephants often cross railway track through areas which are not notified as corridor.
As railway drivers are instructed to run the train with controlled speed through notified elephant corridor areas, the cases of elephant-hit by trains have come down drastically. But it is very difficult to control a train when driver suddenly notices elephants on railway track in areas which are not notified as elephant corridors.
The incidents of elephants crossing railway track is more common in Alipurduar division and to some extent in Lumding and Rangiya divisions of the NFR. There were 115 cases when elephants were saved in Alipur division during the year 2018 by controlling the train as and when the driver noticed movement of elephant herd near or over railway track. The figure of such cases when elephants were saved by driver stopping the train in Alipurduar division was 119 during 2017 while it was 145 and 118 during the year 2016 and 2015.
It may be mentioned that, on the evening of 28th October, driver of train No. 75713 stopped the train by applying emergency brake when they noticed movement of elephant over track between Gulma and Sivok stations of Alipurduar division. In the current year till date there are 122 incidents where drivers had to stop train to give path to herd of elephant crossing the railway track.
The N.F. Railway has taken various initiatives to avoid train-elephant collision. Some of them are like installation of Laser Speed Radar Gun to detect over speeding cases in elephant zones. All train drivers have been counselled to observe all permanent and temporary speed restrictions, fixing of buzzer with Honey Bee sound at Level crossing gates of vulnerable locations. Staffs of pantry car as well as train passenger are being sensitized not to throw any eatable / leftover on or near the railway track so that elephants or any other animals don’t get lured to the track. Signage Boards have been provided at all identified elephant corridors to pre-warn driver. Clearance of vegetation on both sides of railway track to improve visibility of drivers.
In Alipurduar division, for quick exchange of information 25 watt VHF set with frequency of Forest Department have been provided at Rajabhatkhawa, Kalchini and Hasimara stations. Forest department staffs who are supposed to get pre-intimations of elephant movement from field are posted at the train control office at Alipurduar division so that train drivers can be intimated immediately by the nearest Station Master to run the train cautiously due to movement of elephant. Moreover constructions of ramps, passage, underpass, overpass and fencings at various vulnerable locations have also been done and under way to avoid elephant casualty.