Jumbos Killed: State Files FIR Against Railways
Fri, 09/24/2010 - 08:41 — Palash Das
India Law News: Merely a fortnight after the Environment Ministry accorded elephants a special status of a “national heritage animal” a goods train ran over 7 elephants on the track in the Siliguri-Alipurduar section of the North-Eastern Frontier Railway. Enraged by the incident, the forest department has filed a complaint against the Railways u/d Wildlife Protection Act.
The incident occurred when a herd of 7 jumbos (2 calves included) were crossing the track, a speeding goods train running at a speed of 70 kmph (prescribed speed limit is 30 kmph) knocked down 7 elephants, killing all of them. “The experts had identified several vulnerable points across the track, strongly recommending that speed be restricted to 25-40 kmph,” Jalpaiguri Range DFO Sumita Ghatak said.
Over 25 elephants, five bison, three leopards and a Royal Bengal Tiger have been killed on the tracks between 2004 and 2010.
Ananta Roy, State Minister for Forests, termed the accident as “criminal negligence” and vowed to take up the matter in front of Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh.
“We have repeatedly requested the Railways to take some urgent measures to check the deaths of the animals. We told them to run trains at a speed of 30 kmph but yesterday the train was running at a speed of 70-kmph. We also told them to consider a rapid transport system in that area. But they did not pay heed.
We have moved court against them,” said Roy, who had a meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee regarding this incident. Similar incidents can be heard in various parts of the country every now and then.
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