(a) whether several elephants including their calves have been killed on railway tracks in elephant corridors due to high speed of trains;
(b) the number of cases reported during the last three years and the current year;
(c) whether the Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued advisory for slowing down trains in elephant corridors; and
(d) if so, the corrective measures/ steps taken by the Railways in pursuance of the advisory?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)
(a) & (b) During the last three years and the current year, eight cases of hitting of elephants with trains in Elephant Corridors and 23 cases at other locations have been reported in which 55 elephants were killed. Trains run at restricted speed in the identified Elephant Corridors.
(c) & (d) Ministry of Environment and Forest has issued various advisories which have laid down various steps including the aspect of speed. Accordingly, the Railway has taken following steps /corrective measures in pursuance of the requests received from the Ministry of Environment and Forest :-
Imposition of suitable speed restrictions in identified locations keeping advisory of Ministry of Environment and Forest and train operation requirements into consideration, provision of signage board to alert the loco pilots, training programme to sensitise train crew and Station Masters on a regular basis, deputing of staff of Forest Department in the control office, need based clearance of vegetation on the sides of the track within railway land, construction of underpasses for the movement of elephants at identified locations, construction of ramps, construction of girder bridges at the entrance of the deep cuttings, and provision of fencing at isolated locations etc.