RailEnquiry

Concerned over rising cases of elephant deaths on rail tracks, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways today sought to know the reasons for such accidents and formed a committee to suggest remedial steps in a month.

The committee under the chairmanship of DMK MP TR Baalu took up the issue of killing of wild animals especially elephants on tracks with the senior officials of Railway Ministry, Secretary of the Environment and Forest Ministry, and Forest Department officials of Odisha and West Bengal.

Many MPs including Maneka Gandhi, who is also a member of the committee, slammed the railways for its "callousness" in handling the issue and wanted urgent measures to prevent such incidents in future

"Almost all MPs present in the meeting including Maneka Gandhi were furious over the rise in killing of elephants on the tracks and slammed railways for its callousness in preventing the mishaps," an MP who attended the meeting, told PTI.
He claimed there was a complete lack of coordination between railways and forest department in Odisha and as a result elephants were being killed on tracks.

"There is only an 11-km long rail line in the forest area of Keonjhar, Koraput and Ganjam in the state and railways is yet to initiate any step to save elephants in the area," he said.

The 31-member committee decided to constitute a panel comprising senior officials from Railways, Ministry of Environment and Forest and concerned state government officials to look in to the issue and report to the parliamentary panel within a month.

The panel has been asked to examine the issue and suggest remedial measures within a month so that the report can be submitted to Parliament in the coming Budget session, the MP said.

The parliamentary committee insisted on the strict implementation of existing guidelines by both the Railways and Ministry of Environment and Forests to curb the incidents.

The panel of MPs also sought implementation of newer ways such as satellite imaging of movement of elephants and darting of microchips in elephants.

Besides, the committee suggested measures such as reduction of train speed in accident prone areas, providing of proper signages on railway tracks and avoiding of movement of goods train during night time to prevent further mishaps