NEW DELHI: The death of at least seven elephants after they were hit by a high-speed passenger train in Assam on Saturday took the toll of such fatalities to 94 since 2019-20. This was the fourth such accident this year. The last two accidents were reported from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, sources said, adding that elephant safety continued to be a concern on railway corridors passing through forest areas.Railway officials said that while several initiatives have been taken to prevent such mishaps, including deployment of AI-powered intrusion detection systems (IDS), sensors, thermal imaging cameras and eco-friendly buzzers, as well as construction of underpasses, fences and vegetation clearance, there is clearly a need to do more.During the monsoon session of Parliament, the Lok Sabha government had informed that 81 elephants were killed between 2019 and 2020 and 2023 and 2024 after being hit by trains. The central government had also listed the measures taken at various places to prevent such accidents.The government had also said that after field surveys on 127 identified railway routes spanning 3,452.4 km, a comprehensive report titled ‘Proposed Measures to Control Train Collisions with Elephants and Other Wildlife on Vulnerable Railway Routes in India’ has been prepared.“Due to the intensity of wildlife movements, 77 railway lines covering 1,965.2 km in 14 states have been prioritized for mitigation and site-specific interventions,” it said.The report with details of the identified stretches and remedial measures has also been shared with the states and the Ministry of Railways for taking action.
