Negligence of Railways takes lives of jumbos: State Govt

Elephant death: No consensus comes out from Min meeting

--FIR lodged against train driver

KISHORE MANGARAJ

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday convened a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray here on Monday with the top railway officers following the death of elephants mowed down by Chennai bound Howrah-Chennai Coromandel super fast express at Subalaya under Rambha police station in Ganjam district. The meeting failed to reach consensus, though the both department officials took one and a half hour for discussion. 

During the meeting a blame game started between the forest and the railway officers over the death of the jumbos. Briefing the Media, Routaray alleged that the mishap took place due to the negligence of the railway authorities. While the railway authorities said that they were not properly informed before the train crushed the elephants.

The Minister showed the letter of the Forest Range officer of Khallikote who had written to the Divisional Railway Manager at Khurda Road on December 18, 2012 to alert the railway authorities to take precautions for prevention of death of wild life (Elephant) who were frequently passing the railway lines in between Rambha and Humma station. He requested the authorities to direct their staff to allow the passing trains from railway post 557/21-22 to 568/7-8 with slow speed.  

The Minister said that seven signboards are there within 6 km difference. Third signboard was situated about 3 km away from first signboard where accident occurred, he added. “It was the fault of the railway officers as they didn’t sensitise their drivers for slow speed,” he alleged.

Routaray further said that on September 4, 2009, a meeting was held in between the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest and Ministry of Railway to take the precautionary measure for the elephant corridor. The decision was taken to keep clear the vegetable growth specially in curves/bends for better visibility at least 30 metres from both the side of the rail track, putting of proper signage’s on both the sides of these section, need powerful locomotive beam, to limit speed is highly vulnerable sections and etc. The Railway authority has not abided the guide line for the elephant corridor and the information issued by the range officer, Khallikote for prevention of the death of the wild life by rail accident.

The Range Officer of the Khallikote registered a case against the driver at the nearest police station as per the Wild Life Act. The investigation into the matter is on. If any top railway official comes under scanner, they would come to the purview of inquiry and the responsibility would be fixed on them, the Minister said.   

Further, he added, Government would write letter to the Minister for Railways and Union Minister for Forest and Environment to direct their respective departments to follow the guidelines to save the wildlife in the State.

Among others, Divisional Railway Manager Sanjay Mohanty, Sr Divisional Manager Ashok Kumar, Chef Manager, Passenger and Trafffic, Deepak Jha, Chief Traffic Inspector DK Patnaik and senior officials of the Forest Department were present in the meeting.