Forest personnel help avert elephant-train collision in Assam's Hojai

A major tragedy was averted in Assam’s Hojai district on Wednesday, August 19 when forest personnel alerted a train after spotting a large herd of elephants crossing railway track, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The forest personnel are always on guard to ensure the safe passage of elephants through corridors along railway lines, Sarma said.

"Creating Corridors of Safety! In most of Assam’s elephant corridors along railway lines, @assamforest personnel are always on guard to allow safe passage to gentle giants," Sarma said in a post on X.

''This morning in Hojai was no different where a high-speed train was alerted, saving precious lives'', he added.

Sarma also shared the video showing the herd of elephants crossing the railway tracks while a train waited at a distance.

The incident came a day after the Supreme Court ruled that no state can block or erect obstacles in traditional elephant corridors and that crop damage or property protection cannot be cited as a reason to impede wildlife movement.

The court directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to conduct a nationwide survey on blockades in elephant corridors and banned coercive deterrents such as fireballs and burning torches.