Indian Railways and Forest Departments Should Work Together to Ensure Wildlife Safety

A tigress found dead on railroad tracks near the town of Nandyal.

India is known for its vast railway system that connects nearly all corners of the country. However, a good number of train tracks cut through wildlife habitats affecting the movement of animals with tragic consequences. This was seen recently in the case of a stretch of train tracks between Diguvamatta-Chelima railway station on the Guntur-Nandyal line of Indian Railways in the state of Andhra Pradesh. A wildlife official stressed that as many as four animals have died on this stretch in the past one year. Among the victims included a three-year-old tigress which was found dead on the tracks this week. The animal's death alerted the forest department and its body was brought for post-mortem which later showed that the death was accidental. The tiger population in Gundla Bramheswaram Wildlife Sanctuary which is part of the Nandyal forest division has increased in recent years. Chief Conservator of Forests Gopinath stated that this was why a corridor was established between the wildlife sanctuary and Vontimitta in Kadapa district. Camera traps have been set up along the corridor to track the tigers' movements and other animals in the districts. The chief conservator further added that the animals use a steep and narrow lane to cut through the forest which is a hindrance to the defense mechanism of the animals. In addition to the tigress, other animals that died on the same stretch included two leopards and a sloth bear. Due to this, studies are being carried out to decrease the speed of trains while crossing that part of the reserve forest. A letter has been sent to the divisional manager in Guntur to acknowledge this measurement for trains passing the crucial 25-kilometer long expanse between Diguvamatta and Chelima railway stations. While giving concerns for the animals' safety crossing the stretch, environmentalists are hopeful that the railways and forest department could join forces to guarantee that no more animal fatalities are reported from the stretch.

A leopard in Gundla Bramheswaram Wildlife Sanctuary

I believe it is very crucial that forest departments and railways across India should work together to ensure that there are no animal casualties. This especially applies in places where train tracks cut through protected areas or even areas where wild animals have been spotted. Animals like tigers, leopards, and bears require expansive tracts of habitat to search for food and when train tracks cut through such tracts, these animals are prone to death by oncoming trains. I strongly urge that forest departments and railways work out efficient strategies, in order to prevent any further animal casualties. This includes construction of special overpasses or underpasses in areas where animals are spotted. In addition, I also think that a special alarm system that can alert railway stations about animals crossing the tracks in such areas should be installed. Many animals need vast spaces to accommodate them, especially when they are on the move in search of new territories. And when their search for new territories leads them to areas consisting of railway tracks, they are susceptible to death by trains.

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