186 elephants killed on railway tracks in over 10 years : Report
According to a recent report by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, a total of 186 elephants have died due to the grip of trains across India between 2009-10 and 2020-21.
Most of the elephants (62) died on the railway tracks of Assam, followed by West Bengal (57), and Odisha (27).
Measures to protect them by the government
- A permanent coordination committee has been formed between the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to prevent the death of elephants from railway accidents.
- Also included is to ensure the cleanliness of trees and trees along the railway tracks and use of warning sign boards at appropriate places to warn about the presence of elephants.
- Moderating the slope of elevated sections of railway tracks, construction of underpass / and overpass for safe movement of elephants, regulating the speed of the train from sunset to sunrise, in sensitive parts of elephant movement. Along with this, regular patrolling of sensitive parts of railway tracks is also included by the frontline staff and wildlife supervisors of the forest department.
Eco-Bridge as a Solution:
- ‘Eco-bridges’ are wildlife corridors, also known as wildlife crossings, connecting two large areas of similar wildlife habitats. Eco-bridge aims to increase wildlife connectivity. ‘Eco-bridges’ are like a link between wildlife habitats.
- Eco-bridges interconnect individual wildlife populations due to human activities or structures, such as roads and highways, other infrastructure development, and farming, etc.
- Eco-bridges are constructed from local vegetation, that is, it is made from local trees and plants to look like landscapes.
Source – The Hindu
