Tiger death: IR’s role under scanner

 

 

 

THE recent death of 13-year-old mighty tiger, popularly known as Bittu (T-40) in train accident on Ballarshah-Gondia Railway Route has once again fuelled the debate on role of Indian Railways in safeguarding wild animals in the forest area. Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, foresters and wild life experts came out loudly on the issue demanding proactive approach from Indian Railways to mitigate wildlife accidents on railway tracks. According to a latest report of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), at least 130 animals, including tigers, leopards, eagles, and pythons, were killed along the railway route between 2001 and 2021. Of the 250-km stretch, nearly 60 km cuts through sensitive habitats such as Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), Chandrapur and Gondia forests, and Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR). Even in a recent Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by environment activist Udyan Patil, the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court directed to undertake a joint inspection by Indian Railways and Forest Department to find out and determine the number of underpasses required on Ballarshah-Gondia railway route to curb such accidents on tracks. Despite intervention by the court the situation is aggravating and the latest incident started debate of proper wildlife mitigation in Maharashtra. 

 

 

“Lack of co-ordination between Indian Railways and State Forest Department is a major issue and unless and until both departments work together cases of wildlife accidents won’t stop,” said Sunil Limaye, retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) to The Hitavada. Contd from page 1 “Forest Department is doing its level best to curb such incidents but most of the times its railways which do not hear the requests of forest department,” claimed Limaye. “Indian Railways has installed an AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) on railway tracks in Jharkhand and West Bengal to alert train drivers and staff about wild animals. Maharashtra is also working on this technology and within 2-3 months it will start working in our forest as well,” said the retired PCCF. Ballarshah-Gondia railway track crosses deep into forest area which is the main reason behind frequent wildlife deaths on railway tracks. Therefore, keeping alert system intact, reduce train speed inside forest area and display boards of animal crossing for train drivers are some mitigation required with joint efforts, claimed Limaye. 

 

 

Environmental activist and petitioner of the PIL Udyan Patil appealed to Indian Railways to prepare a wildlife mitigation plan in the existing single-line Ballarshah-Gondia railway route to curb wildlife deaths. “Railways is working on laying a second line to cater to the traffic demand of trains on this route. For this, the department included a wildlife mitigation plan for the new track in its Detailed Project Report (DPR). The same plan is also needed on the existing route as it crosses through the tiger reserve,” said Patil. Instead of preparing a mitigation plan, the Indian Railways is fencing the forest area to restrict wildlife movement. The railway track is crossing through the sensitive wildlife corridor of TATR and NNTR. As the railway traffic has increased in recent times, the cases of wildlife accidents have also increased drastically, said Patil. The petitioner also informed us that the State Forest Department first noticed the issue in 2018 and informed Indian Railways for joint mitigation. But the Centre showed no interest to address the issue, which has now turned into a big challenge. 

 

 

“The recent incident is a big jab at wildlife mitigation, and other entities like Indian Railways should work together with State Forest Department and researchers to reduce the number of wildlife accident cases on railway tracks,” said Ajinkya Bhatkar, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Nagpur. The Government of Maharashtra has already taken pioneering steps in wildlife conservation through mitigation initiatives like constructing underpasses along NH-44, and similar efforts should be extended to other regions as well, he added.