Elephant run over by train in Odisha

Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal gave three months’ time to the Odisha government to submit an action plan on elephant corridors in the state

A 12-year-old elephant in Sambalpur district died after it was hit by an express train on Saturday evening.

With elephant corridors getting squeezed due to mining and rapid industrialisation, more and more elephants in Odisha are straying to human habitations for food and getting run over by speeding trains. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Sanjeet Kumar, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Sambalpur, said the elephant, part of a herd, came in front of Rourkela Intercity Express near the Gadgabagal bridge between Jujumura and Hatibari railway stations on Saturday evening. The incident occurred at around 6:30 pm, said the DFO.

“An enquiry on location and circumstances of the accident has been initiated. The fault of railway department or forest field staff is also being looked into,” he said. The other herds moving near the railway tracks are being monitored and precautionary alarm has been raised with the Railways officials in the region, he added.

With elephant corridors getting squeezed due to mining and rapid industrialisation, more and more elephants in Odisha are straying to human habitations for food and getting run over by speeding trains. Early this week, two elephants had died of electrocution after coming in contact with a livewire trap laid by bushmeat poachers.

Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal gave three months’ time to the Odisha government to submit an action plan on elephant corridors in the state. NGT, which was hearing a petition filed by wildlife NGO Wildlife Society of Orissa, had earlier directed that an action plan with specific timelines be prepared by the state government.