Tiger cub run over

 

 

 

A FEMALE tiger cub was crushed to death by a self-propelled inspection car (SPIC) on Nagbhir-Talodi section of South East Central Railway (SECR) on Monday morning. Forest officials conducted inspection of the spot at km 1142/3-4 in Nagbhid tehsil. The SPIC was on way to pick up DRM who was on annual inspection of the section, it is learnt. According to the sources in Forest Department, a speeding train crushed a tiger cub (female) approximately 3-4 months near Kitadi-Mindala village in Nagbhid tehsil in Brahmapuri Forest division, Mindala area, Nagbhid-Chandrapur Railway line in Chandrapur district on Monday.

 

On receiving information, CCF Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, RFO S B Hazare and other officials reached the spot to conduct spot inspection. After necessary formalities, the postmortem was conducted by the team of veterinary doctors. Later, the carcass was cremated in the presence of forest officials and NGOs, informed CCF Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar. Bandu Dhotre, Chief of Eco-Pro, an environmental organisation, in a press release stated that tigers, tiger cubs, leopards and other wild animals have died in the past in accidents on the railway line. On November 15, 2018, after the death of three tiger cubs in a high-speed railway accident at Junona, the then Chief Forest Conservator of Chandrapur, S V Rama Rao, ordered a survey of the railways on the mitigation measures.

 

According, the forest officials, staff and NGOs went around the entire railway track and prepared a report. The officials had identified at least 19 railway poles where the speed of trains should be reduced. It suggested new underpasses in Brahmapuri and Chandrapur divisions in Mamla, Junona, Sindewahi, Chichapalli, Talodhi, Balapur and Nagbhid forest areas. Apart from this, other measures have been mentioned. However, even after five years no measures have been taken by the Railways Department.