On a chilly, fog-laden night on December 20, tragedy struck in Assam when eight elephants lost their lives after colliding with the superfast Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express. Among the fallen were three adult elephants and five young calves, including a newborn that was born right on the tracks due to the impact. The train was so severely derailed that five of its bogies, along with the locomotive, were thrown off the tracks, but thankfully, there were no reported human casualties.
This unfortunate incident took place near the villages of Sangjurai and Patiapam in the Kampur subdivision of Nagaon district, about 126 kilometers from Guwahati. Following this disaster, other trains, including the Rangiya-New Tinsukia Express and the Guwahati-Jorhat Town Jan Shatabdi Express, were cancelled for the day. Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, expressed deep sorrow and ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary urged the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and relevant authorities to collaborate with senior officials of Indian Railways to prevent such incidents in the future.
Interestingly, although the Northeast Frontier Railways maintained that the accident occurred outside of designated elephant corridors, elephant movement in the vicinity has been noted for years. Molan Laskar, a local activist from Kampur, shared that although the route is not officially recognized as an elephant corridor, caution should have been exercised, especially given that trains routinely pass through the area. Post-accident, the railway department set up helplines for locals to report elephant movements near the tracks—a step that many, including Laskar, felt should have been taken sooner.
Villagers from Sangjurai and Patiapam, both known for their rice cultivation, often see elephants migrating from the Kondoli Reserve Forest during the winter months in search of food. One resident, Anil Baruah, whose home is located just a short distance from the tragic accident site, described how the railway line, built during colonial times, cuts through their villages. “Elephants come here to feast on paddy during November and December,” he explained. He also mentioned that elephants from Kaziranga National Park have been known to deliver calves nearby to protect them from predators like tigers, often taking shelter in an abandoned compound from an old sugar mill.
This isn’t the first time elephants have been casualties of train collisions in the area. Back in 2016, four elephants were killed just a kilometer away from this recent accident. The local forest department, while insisting that they had informed railway authorities of the elephant movements, expressed their frustration at the lack of preventive measures.
Shamim Akhtar, a Range Officer of Kampur, revealed that their forest guards had been tracking a herd of over 60 elephants around 1:30 a.m., and alerts were sent to the station master. Unfortunately, despite the precautions taken, the collision occurred about an hour later. Akhtar noted that the train was traveling at speeds over 100 km/h during the incident.
Given Assam’s winter fog, which greatly reduces visibility, locals are becoming increasingly concerned about the safety of elephants and trains. Akhtar mentioned that winter bouts of fog increase accident risks. “Our team remains vigilant, and we’ve set up an anti-depredation squad with local residents to keep track of elephant movements, which has helped avert many such accidents in the past,” she stated.
Anupam Sarmah, a WWF-India team leader, highlighted that the Tinsukia, Lumding, and Rangiya divisions are particularly vulnerable to train-traffic collisions with elephants. He noted that most accidents occur in winter due to poor visibility and emphasized the need for training locomotive pilots about the local wildlife.
To mitigate these tragic events, the Northeast Frontier Railways has taken some steps. They mentioned that in the coming years, they intend to implement advanced technologies like the Intrusion Detection System, which will provide real-time alerts to train operators about nearby elephant movements. Unfortunately, this system had yet to be installed in the area where the recent accident occurred. They have also introduced the “Plan Bee” initiative, where sounds of amplified honeybees are played near railway tracks to deter elephants from coming close.
It’s evident that collaborative efforts are essential to ensuring that both trains and elephants can coexist safely. Maintaining awareness and taking proactive measures could save many lives—both human and elephant alike. The local communities, along with the railway and forest departments, need to engage in ongoing dialogues to ensure safety on both sides.
#SaveTheElephants #RailwaySafety #AssamWildlife #MajesticGiants #WildlifeConservation #ElephantsOfIndia #TragedyInNature #AssamNature #NatureAwareness
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