(a) whether a number of wild animals died in rail, road and train accidents and also
electrocution in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof during the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
(c) whether the Government has taken any steps to check such incidents; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
(SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a)&(b) The number of tigers, elephants, lions and rhinos died in rail, road and train accidents and by
electrocution during the last three years and the current year, as reported by the States, is given in the
Annexure. The Ministry does not collate the data of deaths in such accidents in respect of other wild animals.
(c)&(d) The Government has taken following measures to prevent accidental deaths of wild animals,
especially elephants:
(i) Ministry of Railways in consultation with the Ministry of Environment and Forests had issued a general
advisory to all the railway zones suggesting measures to prevent collision of trains with wild elephants. A
permanent coordination team has been constituted jointly by the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of
Environment and Forests to share information and monitor the implementation of the advisory
on quarterly basis.
(ii) Ministry of Railways has also been requested to regulate the speed of trains in vulnerable sections.
(iii) Nodal officers have been designated in the vulnerable sections to facilitate quick sharing of information.
(iv) Advisories for safeguarding wild animals form road and train hits have been issued from time to time to
concerned tiger range states.
(v) The Ministry has been releasing financial assistance to the State Governments under various Centrally
Sponsored Schemes viz, -‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’, ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’
for construction of RCC watch towers, provision of heavy duty solar lights, high beam search lights, engagement
of personnel to man watch towers, and clearing of bushes on the sides of railway tracks for improving visibility
to monitor the movement of animals including elephants, tigers etc. near the railway tracks with the objective
of preventing collision of animals with trains.