Trains mow down elephants; no solution in sight
It is disappointing to note that, despite the rising number of elephant deaths on train tracks, rail authorities and animal conservationists cannot seem to agree on how best to prevent these fatal accidents. Even the Supreme Court's intervention has not helped. Earlier this week, Indian Railways, in response to a Public Interest litigation, told the apex court that it cannot lower train speeds or change train routes in the accident-prone area between Alipurduar and Siliguri in north Bengal. This 168km stretch cuts through the elephant corridor which connects the Buxa Tiger Reserve to the Jaldapara National Park and has registered an abnormally high incidence of jumbo deaths — as many as 30 since 2009. North Bengal, in general, is home to less than 300 elephants, which is just about one per cent of India's total elephant population. Yet the region sees an extraordinarily high level of man-animal conflict. However, before one rushes to blame the rail authorities for being insensitive to wildlife concerns, it is important to consider their side of the story. According to Indian Railways, it is not possible to reduce speed below the already stipulated 50km per hour, because, given the steep gradient of the land, that would stall the train. In the case of goods trains, it will also encourage pilferage, especially at night. As for changing the route, the alternate track is already functioning beyond its capacity. So, the only way out is to cancel some trains on this stretch. This is an unacceptable option as north Bengal is the gateway to the North-East, and the seven sister States are poorly serviced anyway. Also, several military establishments are located in the region and the movement of defence personnel should not be hampered. Additionally, Indian Railways has also turned down the idea, put forth by some animal conservationists, of planting chillies and tea crops (that put off elephants) along the tracks. The authorities believe such measures will turn jumbos away from their traditional routes and disrupt the natural course. They seem to have a point.
However, this cannot be an excuse for trains routinely mowing down elephants. Indian Railways has to work in consultation with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests as well as the State Government concerned, not just in West Bengal but in Odisha, Assam, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Jharkhand as well, where such accidents occur, to find a long-term solution. For now, rail authorities are collaborating with their counterparts in the forest department to identify the especially dangerous blind spots and raise fences in those areas. That is at best a spot-fix measure. Much more needs to be done.