Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh turned into the saviour of endangered elephants of India. Ramesh recently termed the slaughter of seven elephants at Moraghat, Jalpaiguri on September 22 similar to Bhopal Gas Tragedy. On his insistence the Ministry of Railways is actively considering to ban the movement of goods and non-stop express trains at night through the 168-km stretch between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Junction. The elephants were mowed down one after another at Moraghat. With this, 150 elephants have been killed in India since 1987. The Railways has already instructed the drivers to control the speed while passing through the 88 elephant corridors in India. "As many as 27 elephants have been mowed down by the speeding trains since the conversion of tracks to broad gauge seven years ago in Bengal’s elephant corridors," said Ramesh. Interestingly, West Bengal's Forest Minister Anant Roy, who hails from the same district, could not find time to visit the spot before Ramesh did.
The state forest department has identified 44 spots between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Junction as elephant and wild animals’ corridor, of which 20 are within forests and the rest are on the fringes. Based on this, the Railway has imposed speed restrictions along a 30-km stretch. Announcing his determination to set up a ‘National Elephant Conservation Authority’, Ramesh said, "The railways will have to take steps for doubling of the tracks between New Jalpaiguri and New Alipurduar. A number of trains can then be diverted."
To stop the recurrence of such incidents, state’s Forest Minister proposed to set up 10 control towers along the train route through the forests of Buxa, Jaldapara, Chapramari, Apalchand and Mahananda and other vulnerable forest areas apart from appointing 550 forest guards and putting in place fence and girders. Ramesh has sanctioned seven crore rupees for this purpose. Expressing his displeasure over the Railway’s decision to lay tracks through dense forests, he suggested upgrading an alternative track to the south of the forest and converting it to double-line as a long-term solution.
The recurring deaths of the elephants has prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature to put elephants of India in its list of the endangered animals for 2009. Even as jumbos are losing the fight on possession of land and facing attrition, human beings are gloating about development taking credit for expanding road and rail links and setting up of industrial and mining projects. The National Task Force’s suggestions to save elephants are too short of what is needed. Even those are not being followed. It seems the government is interested in lip service only. However, environmentalists and wild-life activists find Ramesh’s activism up to the mark.
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The state forest department has identified 44 spots between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Junction as elephant and wild animals’ corridor, of which 20 are within forests and the rest are on the fringes. Based on this, the Railway has imposed speed restrictions along a 30-km stretch. Announcing his determination to set up a ‘National Elephant Conservation Authority’, Ramesh said, "The railways will have to take steps for doubling of the tracks between New Jalpaiguri and New Alipurduar. A number of trains can then be diverted."
To stop the recurrence of such incidents, state’s Forest Minister proposed to set up 10 control towers along the train route through the forests of Buxa, Jaldapara, Chapramari, Apalchand and Mahananda and other vulnerable forest areas apart from appointing 550 forest guards and putting in place fence and girders. Ramesh has sanctioned seven crore rupees for this purpose. Expressing his displeasure over the Railway’s decision to lay tracks through dense forests, he suggested upgrading an alternative track to the south of the forest and converting it to double-line as a long-term solution.
The recurring deaths of the elephants has prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature to put elephants of India in its list of the endangered animals for 2009. Even as jumbos are losing the fight on possession of land and facing attrition, human beings are gloating about development taking credit for expanding road and rail links and setting up of industrial and mining projects. The National Task Force’s suggestions to save elephants are too short of what is needed. Even those are not being followed. It seems the government is interested in lip service only. However, environmentalists and wild-life activists find Ramesh’s activism up to the mark.
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1 comment:
What has happened in Bengal is unfortunate. Hope, the Railways would try to avoid such incidents of moving down helpless Elephants. Jairam Ramesh, has rightly shown concern, but beyond this he cant anything to stop Railway accidents.
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