By Arun Pratap Singh
Haldwani, 15 Apr: A tragic incident unfolded as a male elephant was hit by a train on the Lalkuan-Bareilly railway route within the Terai Eastern Forest Division. The forest department is investigating the cause of the accident, which has reignited concerns about railway safety in elephant corridors.
It may be recalled that such accidents have happened in the past and, after every accident, an inquiry is conducted but nothing else happens thereafter. This latest incident has reignited debates on accountability within the railway and forest departments regarding their handling of elephant corridors and ensuring wildlife safety.
As per the officials, the collision occurred near Muktidham in Lalkuan Kotwali area, a designated elephant corridor, at around 11 p.m. Reports indicate that the elephant, while crossing the railway tracks from the forest, was hit by the Agra Fort train. The impact was so severe that the elephant was thrown to the side of the track, landing near a nearby house.
This is not the first tragedy in the area. On 14 December 2023, an elephant and its calf were killed by a train at the same spot. Similarly, fatal collisions were reported on 20 February 2022 and 17 December 2022 also in the Lalkuan-Bareilly and Lalkuan-Rampur routes, respectively. These routes are part of critical elephant corridors, where incidents have occurred at an alarming frequency.
Meanwhile, SDO, Forest Range, Anil Joshi stated that preliminary investigations confirm the elephant was hit by the Agra Fort train. Despite speed limits of 30 km/h imposed in the elephant corridor, trains are reportedly exceeding this limit, leading to recurring accidents. The forest department is examining the train’s speed at the time of the collision, and legal action under the Forest Act is being considered against the train driver.
Forest department officials have highlighted the need for stricter enforcement of speed limits and collaboration with railway authorities to prevent such incidents. Despite several meetings between forest and railway officials, measures to protect wildlife in these areas remain totally inadequate and are not even strictly implemented.
