Lok Sabha Question No. 3975 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Death of Wild Animals on Railway Tracks
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Raja A

## 3975.   SHRI RAJA A:

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

- (a) the number of elephants and other wild animals died on the railway tracks, especially in elephant corridors, during the last five years in the country;
- (b) whether recently three elephants were killed by speeding express train at KharagpurTatanagar section in Paschim Midnapore district;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  instructions  were  given  to  train  drivers  to  be  cautious  about  elephants crossing in the corridors and limiting the speed; and
- (e) the details of systemic preventive measures taken, including fencing the corridors to save wild animals in future?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (e) As per information received from State Governments/Union Territory Administrations,  a  total  of  79  elephant  casualties  due  to  train  collisions  were reported  by  various  states  between  2020-21  and  2024-25.    Information  on elephants and other wild animals died on the railway tracks, especially in elephant corridors are not collated in the Ministry.

As per the  information  received  from  the  State  of  West  Bengal,  three  elephants including  a  mother  and  calf  killed  on  railway  tracks  near  Banstala  between Jhargarm and Banstala railway station in Kharagpur-Tatanagagar railway section on 18 th  July 2025.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, in coordination with the Ministry of Railways, has  taken several measures  to  prevent  elephant  deaths on railway tracks including conducting inter-ministerial meetings. Speed restrictions in  elephant  habitats,  pilot  projects  like  seismic  sensor-based  elephant  detection, construction  of  underpasses,  ramps,  fencing,  have  been  undertaken  at  various locations.

Further, the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun in consultation with the Ministry of Environment Forest, and Climate Change and other stakeholders has published

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3975

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## Death of Wild Animals on Railway Tracks

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.

Capacity  building  workshops  for  Railway  officials  were  conducted  in  2023  and 2024  at  the  Wildlife  Institute  of  India  to  sensitize  them  on  various  aspects  of elephant conservation and protection.

A comprehensive report titled 'Suggested Measures to Mitigate Elephant & Other Wildlife  Train  Collisions  on  Vulnerable  Railway  Stretches  in  India'  has  been prepared after field surveys across 127 identified railway stretches spanning a total of 3,452.4 km. Based on the intensity of wildlife movement, 77 railway stretches covering 1,965.2 km across 14 States have been prioritized for mitigation along with site-specific interventions. The report containing the details of the identified stretches  and  the  mitigation  measures  has  been  also  shared  with  the  State Governments and the Ministry of Railways.