Elephant crossing in Chhattisgarh

In a social media post, India’s Minister for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Bhupender Yadav, shared a beautiful video of a herd of 15 elephants using a specially constructed overpass. The animal overpass is part of the Kharsiya-Dharamjaigarh East Railway Project in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

Minister Bhupender Yadav added that 121 elephants in 21 groups are roaming in the Dharamjaigarh division of Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh, currently.

However, the region is prone to human-wildlife conflicts. Between 2022 and 2024, more than 20 elephants died of electrocution, prompting the high court to call for safety measures.

While animal bridges do not solve the problem of electrocution deaths, they are a critical solution for the safety of elephants passing roads and railway lines.

Designed to offer a safe passage across railway tracks, animal overpasses offer conservation for the elephants in the region who often migrate between forest patches, following age-old paths.

Railway lines, especially in forested areas, cut across these natural migration routes, leaving animals at risk of being hit by fast-moving trains, leading to fatal accidents.

Elephants are keystone species—they help maintain the structure and diversity of ecosystems, and when their movement is restricted or populations are reduced due to accidents, it can throw off the balance of the entire ecosystem.

As we mentioned in the previous article, many elephants in India die annually due to train collisions, especially in regions like Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha. That is why the Indian railways have made multiple protective interventions, including technological initiatives, to reduce elephant accidents and ensure their protection.

Elephant corridors further reduce the chances of such accidents, helping not just elephants but also protecting human lives and infrastructure, as hitting a large animal like an elephant can cause derailments and expensive damage.

Animal crossings are already used in countries like Canada, the Netherlands, and the U.S., where overpasses and underpasses have proven to reduce animal-vehicle collisions.

Implementing similar structures in India is essential for the safety of tuskers and other animals in wildlife.

The elephant crossing video shared by the minister is one of the overpasses built in Chhattisgarh. Along the 124-km Chhattisgarh East Rail Corridor, the Indian government has built five overpasses to ensure elephants can traverse the jungles.

Watch the video – Elephant Crossing