Now, killer tracks claim tigress

‘‘ It’s the Railways’ fault. Our repeated requests for diversion of the track, which passes through the core area, have gone unheeded. What’s worse, the authorities have also not been able to enforce speed restrictions on trains,’’ the park’s deputy director P.P. Singh told The Indian Express over the phone today.

‘‘The tigress was hit by the Aishbagh-Tikoria passenger train around 10.30 pm on May 27. The train driver and guard informed their authorities and the information came to us through the Sonarpur area ranger only last night. We heard that the impact (of the collision) was so strong that even the train’s hose pipe burst,’’ says Singh. At least eight passenger trains pass through the park every day.

Talking to Express, conservationist Billy Arjan Singh said he had written to the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Indian Board for Wildlife as early as on June 1, 2003, alerting them about the danger of having a railway line passing through the core area. ‘‘A day earlier, three elephants were killed when the Gonda-Mailani train rammed into a herd of 27 elephants crossing the track. Among the dead were a male, a female and a calf. The train’s engine was also damaged,’’ says Singh.

‘‘At that time, trains did not have hooters and there was no attempt at speed control. The situation has not changed much,’’ he adds.

‘‘Whenever we requested railway authorities to check speed of trains passing through the park, they have argued that they have to keep up with time tables,’’ Singh says.

The park’s deputy director adds that the problem is not restricted to Dudhwa alone. ‘‘Rajaji, Corbett and Dudhwa national parks lie on the same stretch. And the Railways have remained indifferent towards shifting of the tracks from Rajaji National Park in Dehradun too,’’ he says.

When contacted, the Additional Divisional Railway Manager (North-Eastern Railway), L.K. Sachan said: ‘‘The tracks cannot be uprooted due to public pressure, as the trains are important ones. It is not feasible for us to close down rail traffic here. The solution perhaps lies in the forest department growing more trees, as the dwindling forest cover has forced the animals to come towards the tracks for grazing.’’