Committee to protect elephants in North Bengal

KOLKATA: Alarmed over the killing of elephants by speeding trains in Dooars area of North Bengal, the Union Forest and Environment ministry has formed a seven-member committee to study and recommend steps to check such incidents.

''At least 10 elephants were killed by speeding trains on railway tracks in the Dooars region since 2006. Union Forest and Environment ministry was approached to look into such incidents, following which it formed a seven-member committee,'' Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) in West Bengal Ujjwal Bhattacharjee said.

The WWF-India, West Bengal, which had conducted a survey in North Bengal, also recommended some steps including restriction of the speed of trains and increased alertness to save elephants.

The agency in its report said from west to east, railway lines of NF Railway passed through forests for 74 km including three sanctuaries -- Mahananda, Chapramari and Jaldapara and buffer areas of four forest divisions with 36 per cent of major migration paths of elephants cutting across tracks at various places.

Bhattacharjee said the committee included members from the Railways, Director, Project Elephant and Prof R Sukumar, an Asian elephant expert, among others.

The committee, after the field visit, would give its recommendations to prevent pachyderm deaths by speeding trains, he said.