395 sightings of elephants along railway track between Palakkad – Madukkarai in over 10 years

There has been a drastic increase in the frequency of elephants sighted along the railway track from Palakkad junction in Kerala to Madukkarai in Tamil Nadu in over the last 10 years, said the report by a committee of the Project Elephant division of the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

As per the report ‘Measures to reduce mortality of elephants on railway track in Kerala and Tamil Nadu’, the Railways has stated that the frequency of sighting of elephants increased in the last decade or so, barring 2014-16.

It said a total of 395 elephant sightings were reported along the railway track between 2009-10 and 2021-22.

While there were 29 sightings during 2009-10, the incidents reduced to two during 2013-14 and zero during 2014-15. Sightings of elephants gradually increased from 2015-16 (5), 2016-17 (105), 2017-18 (40), 2018-19 (24), 2019-20 (61), 2020-21 (69) and 2021-22 (24 till September 2021).

“The continuous increase in the frequency of sightings along the railway track is a cause of concern for both Forest Departments of the respective states and Southern Railways,” the report saidthat was submitted to the MoEFCC in September 2021.

It said the Railways had taken in record all the elephant sightings as reported by multiple sources, including loco pilots of trains, keyman doing foot inspection, staff working on railway track and elephant watchers engaged by the Forest Department.

Because of the measures taken by the Forest Department of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Southern Railways, the number of deaths of the elephants had been reduced despite increase in the frequency of elephants being sited along the railway track between Palakkad junction and Madukkarai, said the report.

According to the committee report, 24 elephants were killed in 19 accidents on the twin single lines ‘A’ and ‘B’ between Palakkad junction and Madukkarai from 1978 to March 15, 2021. After the submission of the report, three elephants were mowed down by a train on line ‘A’ near Walayar in November 2021.

Among various measures suggested to minimise elephant deaths, the committee has recommended the Railways to keep the railway track free from food waste as it was attracting elephants. It suggested to the Railways to make announcements for passengers at stations not to throw waste and garbage on railway tracks. The pantry car operators should also be instructed to refrain from throwing food and waste on tracks.

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