37 elephants, wild animals fell victim to speeding trains

NEW DELHI: As many as 37 elephants and wild animals have come under speeding trains since 2013, the Rajya Sabha was told today.

While 26 animals were victims of such mishaps in 2013, the figure was nine last year and two till February this year, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said.

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, he said several proposals have been mooted to check such accidents.

They include use of modern wireless animal tracking device to track the movement of elephants and satellite space navigation system to pre-warn drivers and battlefield surveillance radar system to avoid accidents.

He also mentioned about the measures highlighted by the Supreme Court to check mishaps on rail tracks, which include identification of paths and corridors taken by elephants to cross rail tracks and spotting areas where speed restrictions could be put in place.