ELEPHANT DEATHS

About:

• This was stated by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in the Lok Sabha.
  
  
• Yadav said that 19 elephants were killed across the country on railway tracks in 2018-19, 14 in 2019-20 and 12 in 2020-21.
  
  
• A Standing Committee on the Railways in 2013 had recommended restricting the speed of trains at vulnerable locations to reduce collisions. This translated into trains slowing down to 50 kmph or less in vulnerable locations.
  
  

Several steps were taken to reduce the number of elephants deaths, the Minister noted. These included –

• making permanent and temporary speed restrictions in identified elephant corridors and habitats,
  
  
• making underpasses and ramps for movement of elephants at identified locations,
  
  
• providing fencing at selected locations,
  
  
• erecting signs to warn train drivers about identified elephant corridors,
  
  
• sensitising train crew and station masters to avoid train collisions with elephants and
  
  
• clearing vegetation on the sides of track within railway land.