Concerned Jairam at jumbo death site

Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh visited the site in North Bengal.

Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh visited the site in North Bengal on Friday,where seven elephants were mowed down by a speeding train on September 23.

I have written to the Railway minister Mamata Banerjee,giving several suggestions and I shall be meeting her to take this forward, he said at a meeting held later with forest and railway officials. He said he had also asked the Railways to reduce the frequency of goods trains between 6 pm and 6 am and divert them through an existing track that lies south of the forest areas.

It is possible that the alternative track will be upgraded and converted to a double-line track,which will be a long-term solution to the problem, the minister said. Since there is a 160-km stretch of railway track identified as vulnerable to animals being run over by train,we have asked the Railways to maintain a speed limit of 25-30 kilometres per hour along the entire track. Currently the speed limit is observed only in six places,which,at 50 kms per hour,is still too high.

Ten watchtowers will be put up along the track,but it will not be a foolproof solution,he said. As 24 of the 44 identified elephant crossings lie outside forest areas,it will not be possible to monitor them from watchtowers within forest land, the minister said.

The Environment ministry will soon provide Rs 4 crore to implement three projects. These will include the building of two 10-m-wide elephant underpasses at Jaldapara Sanctuary,fencing a 1.4-km stretch on both sides of the broad gauge line where elephants get trapped and easing out a steep accident-prone slope in Champramari Sanctuary.

The remaining Rs 3 crore to complete the project will be given next year. All three projects are to be implemented by the Railway ministry. Railway officials,however,are of the opinion that most of the ministers suggestions cannot be implemented.

How can goods trains be stopped in that line? questioned SN Singh,Divisional Railway Manager of Alipurduar. The Falakata line is already over-saturated. Running goods trains at night is essential to send resources to the north-east. Also,trains cannot be run below a particular speed.

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Thirteen nature and wildlife organisations met Ramesh and submitted a memorandum,demanding,among other things,a review of the decisions taken by the earlier expert committee. We want a special monitoring team,comprising railway and forest employees,local administration and NGOs, said Animesh Bose,general secretary of Himalayan Nature and Adventure Association. The tendency of passing the buck will stop once all are involved in keeping track on elephant movement and informing the Railways about it.

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