Mamata regrets mowing down of elephants by train

NEW DELHI - Regretting the mowing down of seven elephants by a goods train near Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said a proposal by her ministry to protect elephants from being run over by trains in the area is awaiting clearance by the state forest department.

In a statement, Banerjee said Indian Railways have already forwarded a proposal worth Rs.7.27 crore to the West Bengal forest department suggesting measures such as fencing of tracks and making ramps along it to prevent elephants coming on the track, and providing underpasses at select places for elephants to cross over to the other side of the track.

“The proposal was sent by Northeast Frontier Railway in June 2010 to West Bengal’s principal chief conservator of forests to give his consent for the works to be carried out by railways. The consent of the Forest Department, West Bengal, is awaited,” she said in a statement here.

She joined her cabinet colleague and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in expressing anguish over the death of the elephants Wednesday night.

She also added that “the accident did not occur in a notified elephant corridor identified by the ministry of environment and forests.”

There are four notified elephant corridors in the area between Alipurduar-Siliguri section, namely Gulma-Sivok, Chalsa-Nagarkaata, Madarihat-Hasimara and Hasimara-Kalchini where

“In notified areas, the train drivers have standing orders not to exceed the maximum speed of 50 km per hour and run the train constant whistling, while being extra vigilant,” she added.

She added that on Wednesday night the railways did not get any advance information from forest officials regarding any movement of elephants in and around the non-notified elephant section.

“Therefore, drivers of the goods train were not aware of the movement of elephants. It appears that the elephants came far away from the forest area and their movement pattern was beyond the area identified by the ministry of environment and forests,” she said.

“Railways on its part has already issued standing instructions to station masters that whenever any information is received regarding movement of elephants, caution orders be issued to drivers for observing utmost care (speed restriction, whistling etc.) while driving in the section,” she said.

“Railways are committed to the protection of elephants which is the national heritage animal of the country,” she said, adding that her ministry is in touch with the ministry of environment and forests to discuss ways and means to prevent the killing of elephants on railway tracks.