Much as the Indian Railway has benefited the people of the country, its impact on wildlife and wild habitats has been a matter of increasing concern. Rail routes slicing through wild habitats not only cause direct mortality and injury to wild animals through train accidents but also create habitat fragmentation, degradation, wildlife population fragmentation and reduction of wildlife access to vital habitats.
Direct as well as indirect adverse impacts of railway presence in forested areas has aggravated over the years with the expansion of the rail network as well as increase in frequency of trains to cater to the needs of the people.
One of the major losers in this conflict has ironically been the mascot species of Indian Railways, the Asian elephant. Elephant deaths in railway accidents have been reported from all elephant range states in India, with more than 110 train-hit deaths recorded since 1987. Nearly 90% of these deaths in the past 2 decades were recorded in Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.
ABOUT NATIONAL TRAIN HIT PROJECT |
WTI's National Train Hits Project aims to mitigate loss of wild animals in railway accidents, specifically targetting endangered Asian elephants as a flagship. Wildlife Trust of India - International Fund for Animal Welfare (WTI-IFAW) began the project with a highly successful intervention in Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand.
Unlike other elephant range states where it is more widespread, the issue of elephant deaths in railway accidents in Uttarakhand is localised in a 18km stretch of railway track passing through Rajaji National Park. Yet, between 1987 and 2002, Uttarakhand lost about 20 of its 400 plus elephants to train accidents. The effort inititated by WTI-IFAW in collaboration with the Uttarakhand Forest Department and Northern Frontier Railways has succeeded in ensuring zero elephant deaths in train accidents along these tracks since 2002.
The joint interventions by the three stake-holders were preceded by a detailed scientific study by WTI-IFAW in Rajaji, under its Rapid Action Project (RAP) scheme. The study aimed to identify the problems, circumstances and possible biotic and abiotic factors influencing train-elephant collisions - for instance its findings included the basic need of the elephants to cross the tracks regularly in search of water and also that these tracks were mostly hemmed in by steep embankments that did not allow a trapped animal to escape easily when confronted by an approaching train. Other main objectives of the RAP were: to collate administrative and legal steps undertaken by various agencies in the past and their role in reducing the problem; to suggest possible mitigation measures; and to assist the central and state governments in solving the problem.
WTI-IFAW then acted as a facilitator between the Uttarakhand Forest Department and Northern Frontier Railways to enable a joint approach in implementing the mitigation measures recommended by the study.
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Joint patrolling along the railway track in Rajaji National Park |
For effective control to prevent train-elephant accidents, a combination of various mitigation measures was employed. Joint patrolling was carried out to monitor movement of elephant herds near the track. The patrol team was equipped with communication tools to convey the information on elephant movement to railway staff. The interventions also included installation of signage and hoardings in relevant areas, levelling of steep embankments abutting the track to prevent trapping of elephants between them, awareness generation among train drivers and other railway staff, clearing vegetation in blind turns to improve visibility for train drivers, etc. The study had identified high temperature and uneven water source distribution within the park as one of the major factors necessitating movement of animals across the track. Habitat management activities such as maintenance of water bodies (through de-silting) were carried out.
Although, this study was confined to Rajaji, it highlights general problems faced in railway invaded protected areas throughout India. Moreover, it provides the basic plan for detailed area-specific studies to understand local issues in different areas, to replicate and custom design train-hit mitigation plans for other protected areas in different states.
Rajaji railway patrol team felicitated
 March 7, 2011: Celebrating zero elephant deaths due to train hits in Rajaji National Park since 2002, the Uttarakhand Forest Department recently felicitated members of the joint patrolling team comprising members of Rajaji NP frontline staff, Northern Railways and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Before the implementation of this collaborative project, about 20 elephants had been killed here in train accidents between 1987 and March 2002.
An extensive study to mitigate elephant mortality due to train hits has been completed in the northeast Indian state of Assam by WTI, with funds provided by Elephant Family- an organisation dedicated to conservation and welfare of wild as well as domestic Asian elephants. The study was a follow-up to a rapid survey carried out by WTI-IFAW in this area in 2006. Unlike Uttarakhand, the problem is widespread in Assam: 10 locations in eight divisions have been identified as areas requiring urgent intervention. Assam has seen the most number of elephants killed in train accidents among all Indian states, with about 47 individuals killed since 1987.
- Senior officials of the Assam Forest Department, Northeast Frontier Railway and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), met on December 4, 2008, at the Assam State Zoo to discuss the recommendations of the WTI-study. Several action plans were formulated, including joint patrolling in crucial sections, installation of signage, and training and awareness generation for train drivers, among others. Strategies on improving visibility in blind turns and problems created by steep embankments along the track were also discussed. (Read story)
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Steep embankment along the track near Deepor Beel where the pregnant elephant was hit by a goods train |
Joint patrolling by WTI-IFAW has already been initiated in Deepor Beel, a Ramsar site close to Guwahati, Assam, which was declared as a vulnerable section by both the 2006 and 2008 studies. This was an urgent response to a train accident that occurred in October this year. The accident resulted in the death of a pregnant elephant and her full-grown unborn male calf, attracting intense protests and sympathy from local people.
"The accident occurred while the elephant was trying to cross the track near Deepor Beel, and got trapped between steep embankments on either side of the track. Elephants from Rani Garhbhanga Reserve Forest cross this track to reach the natural catchment Deepor Beel, for water or sometimes to raid crops in the human settlements along the hill on the eastern side of the track," says Anil Kumar Singh, Coordinator, WTI. (Read story)
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Local people pay tribute to elephant killed in train accident in Deepor Beel, Assam |
- In Rajaji National Park, this year, the joint patrolling was slated to begin in November. However, as elephant movement was observed earlier, the patrolling exercise began in August 2008. This will be carried on till June 2009.
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An Asian elephant in Rajaji National Park |
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The project has successfully prevented elephant mortality due to train accidents in Rajaji National Park since 2002. Once, one of the worst affected state, Uttarakhand now boasts of zero incidents of train- elephant accidents.
(Read story)
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In discussions facilitated by WTI, the Assam Forest Department and Northeast Frontier Railway have expressed unanimity in the need for a joint approach, in tackling elephant-train collisions in Assam.
Following Uttarakhand and Assam, the train hit mitigation project will also be replicated in other badly affected states West Bengal and Jharkhand.
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