Indian Railways Multi-Pronged Measures to Reduce Elephant Accidents

Raghu lovingly explores Belli’s hands as if trying to locate something. Belli affectionately responds by asking Raghu to lie beside her, which he obediently follows. 

This is one of the heartwarming and emotional scenes between Raghu, the elephant calf, and Belli, his caretaker, from an Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers. The elephant responds to Belli’s voice and gestures, creating a profound, unspoken understanding between the two.

The documentary is about Raghu, an orphaned elephant calf, who is found in a distressed condition after being separated from his herd. He is rescued and brought to the sanctuary where two caretakers, Bomman and Bellie, raise him with love and empathy. 

Apart from the deep bond between an elephant and its caretakers, The Elephant Whisperers touches on larger themes like conservation, the importance of preserving wildlife, and the delicate balance between humans and nature.

Not all elephants are as lucky as Raghu, and hundreds of elephants are impacted by train and road accidents, particularly in regions where elephants and human settlements overlap.

Infrastructure development, such as roads and railways, has led to more frequent encounters between elephants and vehicles, resulting in fatal accidents.

India is home to about 60% of the world’s wild Asian elephants, and many of these elephants move freely in national parks and forests covering large distances in search of food, etc. Even some designated elephant corridors pass through human-dominated landscapes like roads, railways, and agricultural land.

Unfortunately, while crossing rail tracks where trains travelling at high speeds sometimes collide with elephants, leading to injuries and deaths.

In wildlife, elephants are the worst sufferers due to their large size and the terrain they inhabit, they don’t have enough time to avoid the trains leaving them vulnerable to injuries and deaths. Additionally, elephants often use railway tracks as a path because of the relatively clear passage they provide.

Over the years, there have been numerous reports of elephants being killed by trains where elephant corridors intersect with train routes.

As per India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) data, 60 elephant casualties were reported in train accidents from 2016-17 to 2018-19, especially in regions like Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha. 

Measures by Indian Railways to Prevent Elephant Deaths and Accidents

The Indian railways have taken protection measures to reduce elephant accidents and ensure their protection.

One of the innovative measures taken is the development of an AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect the presence of elephants on railway tracks using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS).

The system components include optical fibre, hardware and pre-installed signatures of elephant locomotion. The system alerts loco pilots, station masters and the control room about the movement of elephants in the track’s proximity enabling timely preventive action.

Presently, the IDS system is working over 141 route km (Rkm) on critical and vulnerable locations identified by the forest department in Northeast Frontier Railway. This device has been reported to be very effective in protecting elephants.

The government is also constructing underpasses and ramps for elephant movement and installing fencing, signage boards, and solar-enabled LED lights at all identified elephant corridors.

Innovative Honey Bee buzzer devices have been installed at level crossings to prevent the movement of wild animals and elephant accidents on railway tracks.

Studies have shown that elephants are often irritated and frightened by honey bees as they fear that the swarms of bees can sting the sensitive areas inside their trunks and around their eyes. 

The buzzing sound created by Honey Bee devices acts as a repellent to move elephants away from railway tracks reducing the chances of elephant accidents. 

Moreover, elephants are also known to be intelligent and have strong memories. They tend to avoid returning to places where they have encountered honey bees, making these devices a long-term solution. 

Further, steps are taken to clear vegetation and edible items surrounding the track within railway land. This problem often arises when elephants forage along or near railway lines, attracted by the vegetation or food sources thrown by travellers from their train windows.

A thermal vision camera is also being tried to detect the presence of wild animals on a straight track during the night and in case of poor visibility which alerts loco pilots of the presence of wild animals. Elephants are naturally drawn to these areas to forage and might wander onto the tracks while grazing.

Therefore the food sources near railway lines must be managed properly, reducing the attraction for elephants and other wildlife. This includes clearing food items or trimming vegetation that could draw elephants to the tracks.

In case of an elephant accident with a train, Zonal Railways investigates the matter in close coordination with the forest department and takes steps immediately.

These include imposing suitable speed restrictions at identified locations and alerting train crews and station masters. Regular meetings with concerned forest officials are conducted to update and sensitize the train crew.

Wrapping Up

As a result of the measures introduced by the Indian railways, elephant deaths have reduced by more than 50%, i.e. from 26 in 2013 to only 12 in 2024.

However, any elephant accident or loss poses a challenge as these gentle giants are slow breeders. Deaths of even a small number of adults, especially females, can have a significant impact on the population, disrupting the ecosystem and conservation efforts.

Moreover, elephants are social animals with strong family bonds where the loss of one member, particularly a matriarch, can affect the entire herd, causing grief and social disruption.

Therefore continued work is needed to protect elephants from such tragic accidents. Efforts to preserve and expand elephant habitats, including the creation of dedicated wildlife corridors, are also vital in reducing human-elephant conflict and minimizing the risks posed by roads and railways.

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