3 Elephants Die After Being Hit By Train While Crossing Railway Track In Bengal

Three elephants were hit by a train while crossing a railway track near Bastola railway station in West Bengal. Two baby elephants and one adult died on the spot.

A herd of seven elephants was crossing the track when the train on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar railway section rammed three elephants, and four got stuck near the ones who died. The elephants most likely came from the Jhargram forest in West Bengal's Kharagpur.

The track was cleared in the morning, and the bodies of the elephants were lifted by a crane, but the incident is not a one-off. Several cases have been reported from many states where elephants died while crossing train tracks, bringing focus on safe corridors for animals to cross roads and train tracks in wildlife areas.

These crossings are often referred to as death traps, as the absence of alert systems leads to incidents when wild animals like elephants, which migrate in search of food and a suitable habitat, as seasons change. Their migration is more common than that of other wild animals. 

Though steps are being taken to use technology to identify such hotspots to alert train drivers whenever animals are crossing railway tracks. In Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, and Uttarakhand, artificial intelligence is being used to provide a clear view of a herd of elephants moving in a specific direction. 

The AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) detects the presence of elephants on railway tracks using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS). The system components include an optical fibre hardware and pre-installed signatures of elephant locomotion. The system alerts loco pilots, station masters and the control room about the movement of elephants in the track's proximity, for taking preventive action promptly.

It helps save the lives of animals, but a large-scale implementation across India remains.

Recently, a train was stopped for two hours when a mother elephant was giving birth on a railway track. Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav shared the video and updated that the railways and the environment ministry have identified 110 sensitive spots after surveying 3,500 km of railway tracks in the country.

In March this year, the Centre said several measures have been taken to protect wildlife on tracks. 

To prevent the movement of wild animals near railway tracks, innovative Honey Bee buzzer devices have been installed at level crossings. The sound created by this device acts as a repellent to move elephants away from the railway track. 

Thermal vision cameras are being used to detect wild animals on a straight track during night or when the visibility is poor. These cameras alert loco pilots of the presence of wild animals.