Infrasonic waves to keep tuskers away from tracks....Railways proposes fencing tracks to protect elephants

Body of a dead elephant hanging in Jaldhaka Railway Bridge, Photo: IE

Madhuparna Das,IE, Kolkata, Sat Nov 16 2013: It has taken 17 elephant deaths in last 10 months, including five that were mowed down just two days back, on the killer tracks between Siliguri and Alipurduar in Jalpaiguri, for the West Bengal forest department to wake from its slumber and push for scientific methods to keep the jumbos away from railway lines when the trains pass through the area.
The forest department would install devices, which generate infrasonic waves, to keep elephant herds away from rail tracks. Animals, especially elephants, have been known to perceive and communicate using infrasonic sound waves, often emitted by stomping the ground. These sound waves can act as anything from mating call to warning and is sensed by the elephants using their feet.

"Infrasonic waves can be used to keep tuskers away when a train passes through the elephant corridor. It will take time to be introduced but can save the elephants. We will also build underpass for the trains. The immediate solution, however, is to reduce the speed limit and stop movement of trains at night through the corridor," said N C Bahuguna, chief wildlife warden.

The department would also create a monitoring system, which will be connected to the railway signalling system, and will generate alerts whenever a herd is crossing the rail track.

Two days after five adult elephants were mowed down by a passenger train in Jalpaiguri, a team of officials from union ministry of environment and forest, led by Chaitanya Murti, assistant inspector general of forest (AIGF), inspected the area today.

Even though the 150-km track between Siliguri and Alipurduar has been identified as the 'elephant corridor', the trains continue to ply here at speeds of more than 70 km per hour, even though forest department has stipulated 25kmph as maximum speed. According to sources, at least 15 pairs of trains pass through the corridor.

The state forest department will be placing three demands with the central team. "We will appeal to stop the movement of night trains on the corridor, reduce the speed limit to 25 kmph and reduce the number of trains passing through the area. We have already requested the Railways to go for another line in the Falakata to reduce pressure of rail traffic in the Chalsa area," added Bahuguna.

Meanwhile, the state government lodged two complaints Thursday against the railways following which the driver of the Kavi Guru Express, that ploughed through the herd, was detained and interrogated by the forest department before being handed over to the railways' authorities. "The Railways initiated a departmental inquiry against the driver. But punishing a driver would not resolve the issue. The speed limit of trains has to be restricted," said Bipin Sood, conservator, northern circle.

The forest department has also set up camps near the Jaldhaka bridge in the forest area in Chalsa where the accident took place, to treat the injured elephants. "We could not shift the injured elephants. So we have set up camps in the forest. Four doctors are treating the injured elephants," said a senior forest official.

SNS, Siliguri, 15 November 2013: In order to save the wild elephants, the Northeast Frontier Railway authorities proposed that it would erect fence on either side of the railway track following suggestions from wildlife experts of the forest department. According to a senior NF railway official, the matter was discussed at a coordination meeting between the railway and forest departmental officials at Alipurduar railway division office last evening.

Top officials of both the departments agreed to step up vigilance and maintain coordination to share information about the movement of elephants round the clock between forest and railway staff. The railway officials mainly stressed the need of erecting a fence on either side of the railway track following suggestion of the forest department during interaction with the top foresters.

File Photo

The chief public relations officer, NFR, Mr Sugata Lahiri, said: “In order to save wildlife and reduce the rate of jumbo deaths, the Railways would erect a fence at its own cost following suggestions of the forest department. The matter was discussed at a meeting yesterday.”

“We don’t know about the sensitive areas where elephants move frequently besides the restricted zones to control the speed of trains as precautionary measures following the corridor of wild elephants throughout the Dooars route,” Mr Lahiri said. “The NFR authorities would build a fence at its own costs to save the life of elephants by preventing them from crossing the railway track,” Mr Lahiri also added.

A senior forest official expressed doubt about the proposal and feasibility of the fencing system because mighty jumbos may damage the fence in future if they are prevented from their own path.

Notably, five elephants, including three calves, one sub adult and another pregnant elephant were mowed down by Kabiguri Express train near Jaldhaka Railway Bridge in the Nagrakata police station on 13 November evening.

The condition of another train-hit pregnant elephant is gradually deteriorating after foetus died inside.

According to the divisional forest officer, Mr Bidyut Sarkar, said: “The backbone of the elephant has been damaged. If the jumbo cannot stand up easily, its condition will deteriorate day by day.”

“We are trying to strengthen vigilance along the railway tracks amid the forest zone to save the life of wild elephants,” said Mr Sarkar.

TNN, Nov 15, 2013, JALPAIGURI/KOLKATA: A day after yet another tragedy struck on the 'tusker killer' rail corridor of north Bengal, when five elephants were mowed down by the Kavi Guru Express in the Dooars on Wednesday evening, a familiar blame game has broken out between rail and forest officials.

Of the dead elephants, one was a sub-adult male, two were adult females, one was juvenile and one sub-adult female. Five vets reached the spot on Thursday to treat the elephant, an adult female, who was severely injured in the accident.

While some conservationists think the railways should at least change its mascot — Bholu the guard elephant — as trains are now a major cause of jumbo deaths, foresters raised the pitch for a fresh battle and warned the railways to take the issue seriously.

Leading the charge was Bengal forest minister Hiten Barman, who visited the site and said the accident happened because the train was speeding in a corridor where speed is restricted.

But, are these crocodile tears? "There has been an outpouring of grief over this tragedy. But will it translate into action? The alarming frequency of such accidents indicates that we have collectively failed in our task to provide the elephants safe passage. If we are to protect elephants, we need to take hard decisions — and securing their habitat and corridors tops the list of 'must-do's'," said conservationist Prerna Bindra.

According to sources, a herd of 40-45 elephants was moving near the Jaldhaka Bridge in Hilajora forest around 5.40pm when the Kavi Guru Express that runs from Jaipur to Kamakhya came speeding down and ploughed through the herd.

Railway officials say the driver pulled the brakes but there wasn't enough distance for the train to stop. The impact was so severe that five elephants were flung in the air and one was dragged onto the bridge. All trains along the 168km route between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar were stopped for the carcasses to be removed.

Sumita Ghatak, DFO of Wildlife II, told TOI that removing the carcasses was proving an uphill task. "Particularly the body of the elephant left hanging from the bridge," she said.

At a meeting between the foresters and the rail officials at Chapramari, later in the day, chief wildlife warden N C Bahuguna made it clear that all trains travelling on the 168-km line between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar should maintain a speed limit of 25km per hour. He also asked rail officials to stop superfast trains travelling on the stretch during the night hours.

"All trains don't have stoppages at Dooars. We have asked them to shift these trains to the NJP-Falakata line that doesn't cut across any major sanctuaries. A proposal on using ultra high frequency walkie-talkies both by the forest and rail officials also came up in the meeting," said Bahuguna, adding that a joint team of forest department and railways will monitor the site soon.

Union railway minister (state) Adhir Chowdhury said railways will examine the conditions put forward by the forest department. "Diverting trains to another line might lead to congestion on that route," he said, adding that they too were worried over rising the jumbo deaths.

The East Coast Railway, meanwhile, has started fitting its locomotives with four-beam headlights that will throw light on the tracks as well as on both sides, allowing the driver to notice any movement of animals.

A group of conservationists, who has recently filed a PIL in the Calcutta high court seeking restrictions on train movements between Siliguri and Alipurduar, are weighing options to file a special petition as 'time is running out'. "The hearing is supposed to take place next week. If it doesn't happen, then we might move a special petition," said conservationist Shakti Ranjan Banerjee, honorary director of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI).