Maligaon, March 28: Various preventive measures initiated by the Alipurduar Division of N.F. Railway have resulted into saving of more than hundred elephants during last year only.
As per available records there were 115 cases when elephants were saved during the year 2018 only 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 elephant was saved by driver stopping the train was 119 during 2017. While it was 145 and 118 during the year 2016 and 2015. In the current year till date there are 5 incidents where drivers had to stop train to give path to herd of elephant crossing railway track.
It may be mentioned here that Alipurduar Division of 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 and trackman 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. Staff 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 at the locations decided by Forest Department of the Govt. of West Bengal.
Clearance of vegetation on both sides of railway track are being done on regular basis to improve visibility of drivers. 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 staff who are supposed to get pre-intimations of elephant movement from field are posted at the train control office at Alipurduar Jn 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.
The measures initiated by railways have been able to reduce the train – elephant collision related incident as well as casualty in the Alipurduar Division by a great extent. In the current year there are no such incidents of elephant death although drivers had to stop train on many occasions by applying emergency brakes.
