Lok Sabha Question No. 352 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-28
Subject: Death of Elephants on Railway Tracks
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sunita Duggal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *352

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.03.2022

## Death of Elephants on Railway Tracks

## *352. SHRIMATI SUNITA DUGGAL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FORESTAND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken steps to stop the deaths of elephants on railway tracks;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of number of elephants found dead on railway tracks during the last three years; and
- (d) whether the Ministry has issued any guidelines to the Ministry of Railways to make train operation extra cautious to check such incidents?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *352  REGARDING  'DEATH  OF  ELEPHANTS  ON RAILWAY TRACKS' DUE FOR REPLY ON 28.03.2022

- (a) to (d) The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  in  coordination  with Ministry  of  Railways  has  been  taken  number  of  measures  to  prevent  elephant deaths  on  railway  tracks.  The  preventive  measures  undertaken  include  the following:
- (i) A  permanent  Co-ordination  Committee  has  been  constituted  between Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for preventing elephant death in train accident.
- (ii) Imposition  of  permanent  and  temporary  speed  restrictions  in  identified elephant corridors and habitats.
- (iii) Wildlife Institute of India in consultation with the Ministry of Environment  Forest  and  Climate  Change,  National  Highway  Authority, National  Tiger  Conservation  Authority  and  World  Bank  Group  has published  a  document  namely  '  Eco-friendly  Measures  to  Mitigate Impacts of  Linear  Infrastructure'  to  assist  project  agencies  in  designing linear  infrastructure,  including  railways  lines,  in  a  manner  that  reduces human-animal conflicts.
- (iv) Construction of underpasses and ramps for the movement of elephants at identified locations.
- (v) Provision of fencing at selected locations.
- (vi) Provision of signage board to warn loco pilots about identified elephant corridors.
- (vii) Sensitization  of  train  crew  and  Station  Masters  to  avoid  train  collisions with elephants.
- (viii) Need based clearance of vegetation on the sides of track within railway land.
- (ix) Deputing  Forest  Department  staff  in  Railway  control  offices  to  liaison with Railway and engagement of elephant trackers by Forest Department for timely action by alerting Station Masters and Loco Pilots.
- (x) Coordination  meetings  between  State  Forest  Department  and  Railway department.

The State-wise  details  where  the  elephant  death  due  to  train  hits  occurred  and reported during last three years is enclosed as Annexure .

ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 352 RAISED BY SHRIMATI SUNITA  DUGGAL REGARDING 'DEATH OF ELEPHANTS ON RAILWAY TRACKS' DUE FOR REPLY ON 28.03.2022.

Elephant Casualties in Train Accidents from 2018-19 to 2020-21

| S.No.   | State       |   2018-19 | 2019-20   | 2020-21   |
|---------|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1       | Assam 2     |         2 |           | 5         |
| 2       | West Bengal |         6 | 5         | 0         |
| 3       | Tamil Nadu  |         0 | 0         | 1         |
| 4       | Jharkhand   |         0 | 1         | 1         |
| 5       | Kerala      |         1 | 3         | 0         |
| 6       | Odisha      |         7 | 1         | 4         |
| 7       | Uttarakhand |         1 | 2         | NR        |
| 8       | Karnataka   |         2 | 0         | 1         |
|         | Total       |        19 | 14        | 12        |

*NR- Information not received from States.