Jalpaiguri: An advanced optical fiber Intrusion Detection System has been successfully implemented along a section of the Railway line to mitigate the risk of elephants being struck by trains. Following the promising results of this pilot project, the Forest department has requested the installation of this system along the entire Railway line between Alipurduar Junction and Siliguri Junction.
Bhaskar JV, Chief Forest Officer of North Bengal, announced this development at a function hosted by the Jalpaiguri District Forest Department on World Elephant Day.
“The system, initially implemented on a trial basis, has proven effective,” Bhaskar J V stated. “We have seen significant benefits and believe further enhancements are possible. We have formally requested the Railways to extend this system across all forested Railway lines.”
The system, operational on a 28 to 30 km stretch of Railway from Binnaguri Station to Karon Station, detects elephants on the tracks and sends an alert to the nearest station. The station master then notifies the locomotive driver of the approaching train. Tested with Kumki elephants, the system’s effectiveness is evident, although some modifications are anticipated.
Bhaskar J V also noted that many elephant corridors intersect by Railway tracks through forested areas. The Railway department previously managed to prevent numerous elephant fatalities by regulating train speeds. The BG-3 line of Indian Railways, spanning 165 km from Alipurduar Junction to Siliguri Junction, traverses the Mahananda, Gorumara, Jaldapara and Buxa National Parks. The line has been the site of numerous elephant fatalities, a trend also observed in Assam’s forests. In response, Indian Railways allocated Rs 77 crore in 2023 for the expansion of intrusion detection systems to further safeguard wildlife.
The North East Frontier Railway has reported that Alipurduar, Rangia and Lumding divisions have seen the highest number of train-related elephant casualties.