Three elephants were killed and one seriously injured by the speeding Mahananda Express Train at Moraghat Range under Jalpaiguri Wl-2 forest division in North Bengal in the wee hours of Thursday.
In the past two years, around 20 elephants have died on this killer track that runs for a stretch of about 168 km through the Mahananda and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuaries near the Buxa Tiger Reserve. An FIR has been lodged against the train’s errant driver.
Sumita Ghatak, DFO, Jalpaiguri Forest Division-2, said the injured elephant was badly hit at its rear and is in a critical condition. Three doctors are attending it at Gorumara elephant camp. “There would soon be a meeting of the Railways and Forest officials to review the status of the implementation of the guidelines issued in the series of hi-level meetings since 2010. A watch tower would soon be built in the area,” Ghatak said.
However, ADRM Denis lakra, Alipurdwar Division (North Frontier Railway) claimed that as decided in the previous meetings, the forest department had not given any prior intimation to the Railways on the approaching herd of jumbos. In absence of any such intimation, it was not possible for the driver to suddenly stop the train on the tracks.
According to Anirban Mazumdar, local environmentalist, “Despite spree of hi-sounding resolutions and recommendation as e-tagging of jumbos or putting up electronic fencing, etc, the hard fact remains that there is a lack of coordination between the forest department and Railways. The vulnerable spot was clear of vegetation, but it did not have signages as decided in the meetings to forewarn the driver that it is an elephant area.” He further added that the train was moving much faster than the permissible speed of 40 kms per hour.
Recently, the Standing Committee of National Board For Wildlife had raised serious concerns over fragmentation of Elephants corridors. MD Madhusudan said, “There is a need to give a legal status to the elephant habitats/ reserves and regulatory role should be given to the National Board for Wildlife.” He pointed out that growing incidents of jumbo deaths in train hit cases should be examined.