(IN): Elephant run over by train in West Bengal

[Guest guest]

There is a confirmed report of a elephant being run over by a train near the

Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal, more details awaited. It is not yet

ascertained whether the elephant was a calf or an adult.

 

Azam

 

--

United against elephant polo

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080116/jsp/siliguri/story_8785494.jsp

 

Elephant death on tracks again

- Speeding goods train cuts calf into pieces

ANIRBAN CHOUDHURY

 

Rajabhatkhawa, Jan. 15: A 10-month-old male elephant calf was dragged

along for 900 metres and cut into pieces by a speeding goods train

near the Shikari level crossing here last night.

 

The forest department has alleged that the driver was not following

the rules laid down for trains passing through forest reserves, which

includes reducing speed. An FIR has been filed against the driver in

Kalchini police station.

 

Around 1.55am, the goods train loaded with foodgrain was heading

towards Assam from Siliguri. At the same time, a herd of wild

elephants was roaming in forests around the level crossing, which

comes under the Rajabhatkhawa (west) range of the Buxa Tiger Reserve

(BTR). The calf was standing beside the track and when the train

passed, it got sucked under the wheels and was dragged along. The

gate-man at the crossing, 21km from Alipurduar town, and a few

passers-by were witness to the incident. The driver did not stop the

train.

 

The forest department alleged that it was not the railways, but the

passers by, who had informed them. A host of forest officials then

visited the spot, 1.5km from the nearest station of Rajabhatkhawa.

 

In October, the environment ministry had placed a few proposals before

the railway board among which were the suspension of trains passing

through the forests at night and reducing speed.

 

This is the 10th elephant to die on tracks in north Bengal after the

conversion of the metre gauge to broad on the Alipurduar

Junction-Siliguri section in 2004.

 

Before the conversion, on the basis of a Calcutta High Court order, an

expert committee had identified four elephant corridors where drivers

had been told to slow down on speed.

 

The stretch where the calf died does not come under any of the

corridors, the railways claimed.

 

A.P. Singh, the deputy field director the BTR (west), said the driver

will be booked under Wild Life Protection Act I. " Asutosh Swami, the

general manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway, will visit this

section on January 18 and we will meet him to discuss this issue. "

 

A.K. Jha, the divisional railway manager of Alipurduar, said since the

area does not fall within the four specified elephant corridors, it

was natural for the train to run at a high speed. " We have followed

the instructions of the expert committee. This is nothing but an

accident. We always instruct our drivers to control speed in the

sensitive zones and go for cautious driving, " said Jha.

 

aapn , " AZAM SIDDIQUI " <azam24x7 wrote:

>

> There is a confirmed report of a elephant being run over by a train

near the

> Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal, more details awaited. It is not yet

> ascertained whether the elephant was a calf or an adult.

>

> Azam

>

> --

> United against elephant polo

> http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

>

>

>