Two Young Elephants Killed by Train in Andhra Pradesh, Deputy CM Expresses Condolences
Two elephant calves lost their lives after being struck by a train in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The Deputy CM has called for preventive measures.
Anantapur, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : A tragic incident unfolded in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, where two young elephants were killed by a train on Thursday. The accident occurred early in the morning near the railway tracks close to Kalyan village in the D. Hirehal mandal.
Pawan Kalyan, the state’s Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Forests and Environment, expressed his deep sorrow over the incident. He sought detailed information from forest department officials and instructed them to take special measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
In a statement released by his office, Kalyan emphasized the need for collaboration between the forest and railway departments to ensure the safety of wildlife along railway routes that pass through forest areas. He recalled a previous incident where a leopard had also been killed in a train accident on the same railway line.
The Deputy Chief Minister directed officials to strictly adhere to guidelines established for wildlife protection and to hold coordination meetings with local railway authorities. He stressed the importance of discussing safety measures for wildlife during train operations in forested areas.
Kalyan highlighted the necessity for train drivers operating in these regions to remain vigilant. He suggested regulating train speeds in forested areas, maintaining constant surveillance on railway tracks, and regularly sounding horns in areas frequented by wildlife. He also proposed specialized training for locomotive pilots focused on wildlife activity and safety.
The Deputy Chief Minister urged the forest department to identify locations where wildlife frequently crosses railway tracks and implement specific safety measures in those areas. He has also instructed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) to raise the issue of wildlife protection on railway routes with the relevant railway general managers.
Additionally, Kalyan reviewed ongoing incidents of elephant deaths due to electric shocks. He directed that in districts with high occurrences of such incidents, joint meetings should be held with collectors and officials from agriculture, horticulture, electricity, panchayat raj, and rural development departments.
He stressed the need for a permanent solution to the problem of elephant deaths caused by electric shocks. Senior forest officials were instructed to conduct thorough investigations into each incident and take corrective actions to prevent future occurrences. Furthermore, Kalyan emphasized that power lines in wildlife habitats should be elevated sufficiently and that farmers should be educated against using electric fencing for crop protection in these areas.
