Elephants are often at risk of being hit by trains. But come 2016, they will be safe on tracks, thanks to a device developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
The government is working on implementing a wireless sensor device developed by IIT-Delhi, which will detect the presence of elephants and other animals on railway tracks and then activate a signal to a station master for warning trains to slow down or stop.
The project, being undertaken jointly by the Union ministries of railway and environment & forests, is the result of a campaign by the ‘Animal Equality’. The global animal rights organisation has advocated use of a foolproof technology to save animals on tracks.
“We suggested the installation of radar sensors in trains for detecting animals in front of trains and on tracks. We also sought an auto-brake function that can be utilised to avoid collisions,” Animal Equality’s Indian representative Amruta Ubale said.
“Sensors are used by international car companies. It is also used in some trains and ships. The technology has proved useful in avoiding collisions,” she said and added, “We hope to see the project in place by 2016.”
The Wildlife Trust of India said the efficacy of the device would have to be tested both for passenger and goods trains separately.
“It will be difficult to jump to any conclusion without testing in the hilly areas and other parts of the northeast,” said Parimal Bhattacharjee, executive trustee, WTI and former professor and head, department of zoology, Gauhati University.
An August 2010 report of the Elephant Task Force suggested that 150 elephants were killed in train collisions since 1987 in India. Assam tops the list with 36% of the casualties. West Bengal is second with 26% and Uttarakand third with 14%. The report said most of these collisions took place between 6pm and 6am.
Alarmed by such deaths of elephants in Assam, the WTI, supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, had carried out a survey-cum-study and identified about 23 accident-prone sections in eight forest divisions in the state.
