7 tigers, 14 leopards and a bear dead, MP wildlife department says railway line is marred with issues

The railway line came under scanner when three tiger cubs were injured after being struck by a train in a forested area in Midghat, around 70 km from Bhopal, on the night of July 14-15. All three eventually succumbed to their injuries.

Records show that the wildlife department, in a review meeting on September 6 this year, highlighted lapses in compliance with certain conditions imposed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and the National Board for Wildlife regarding the construction of the railway line.

The department stated that the “conditions imposed under the conditional permission obtained from Government of India… were not fully complied with by the user agency (Indian Railways)”.

A key point raised during the meeting was the improper construction of underpasses, meant to provide safe passage for wildlife. These “underpasses are located above local drainage systems that fill with water during the monsoon, forcing animals to seek alternative routes, often leading them onto the railway tracks”, the department noted.

The report also states that “waterlogged areas near the tracks, caused by poor drainage, are attracting animals looking for water”, further increasing the risk of collisions. The meeting emphasised the need for developing alternative water sources away from the railway tracks.

Speed limits were another point of contention. While the approved speed limit for trains passing through forest areas was “set at 60 km per hour, caution boards installed by the railway authorities indicate speed limits of 75 and 65 km per hour”, in clear violation of the prescribed safety measures, the department stated.

The issue of track maintenance was also flagged. Joint inspections by field staff, scientists, and veterinarians revealed that “weeds between the tracks obstruct visibility, making it difficult for train pilots to spot wildlife and for animals to avoid oncoming trains”. The removal of these weeds was deemed critical to ensuring the safety of both animals and train operations.

The meeting also highlighted concerns about the accumulation of garbage near railway tracks. Litter from passengers and patrolmen is “not being regularly removed, attracting animals and increasing the likelihood of accidents”.

Forest Range Officer Vikas Kumar Sulia, who was part of the review meeting, told The Indian Express, “We have intimidated the railway authorities on the shortcomings from their end. They have not followed up till now. They promised to build some fencing and then backtracked, promising to first build underpasses. They are also unable to adhere to speed limits. We asked them to first limit speed to 30 km/hr, which they said was not possible, then the speed limit of 60 km/hr was also not followed.”

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey said “the project is subject to wildlife clearances, and authorities have been slow in implementing them”.

Asked about what has changed since the death of the three cubs, Chief Conservator of Forests Rajesh Khare told The Indian Express, “An expert committee report on the project is awaited. The final report will point the way forward on how to build safeguards. Work has begun on building an overbridge. There was some fencing work which was done but that was not suitable for the tiger’s movement. The stretch is still very vulnerable for animals.”

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Saurabh Kataria told The Indian Express, “The death of the three tiger cubs is a one-off incident. Bhopal is a tiger capital, there are 25 tigers roaming around the capital. The tigers also end up approaching the track site. There are adequate safety measures in place. We have ensured there is no waterlogging in the area. There are some water bodies near the stretch, so the animals come to drink water. But safety measures are there.”

Western Railway CPRO Harshit Shrivastava said, “The Barkheda-Budhni railway line is ready for train movement. The issues which have been raised with regards to wildlife clearances, the departments concerned will sort it out.”

This is not the first time red flags have been raised. In July 2022, a letter from Chief Wildlife Warden Jasbir Singh Chauhan to the Divisional Railway Manager highlighted significant delays and failures in meeting the imposed conditions for construction within forest areas. In the letter, Chauhan had flagged that “construction of four overpasses remains unfinished” and “work on level crossings, which are also part of the project’s safety measures, is yet to begin”. Chauhan had observed that the project “has seen little progress in implementing crucial environmental mitigation measures”.