Guwahati: A government-backed report has sounded the alarm on the rising number of elephant deaths caused by train collisions in Assam, revealing that infrastructure meant to connect the region is now endangering one of its most iconic species.
“Despite being the most connected state in the North-East in terms of the railway network, railway operations in Assam account for the highest impacts on biodiversity in terms of elephant mortality. The vast railway network often intersects wildlife habitats and movement pathways of wild elephants that occur outside the purview of protected areas,” a report on suggested measures to mitigate elephant and other wildlife train collisions on vulnerable railway stretches in India stated.
The report was prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India and Project Elephant, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF).
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Ministry of Railways, had initially identified 110 sensitive railway stretches across the elephant distribution range in India, with 17 additional sensitive stretches identified in two Indian tiger range states to address the issue of wildlife fatalities resulting from train collisions.
The report said train hits account for the second-highest cause of non-natural elephant mortality in Assam, with reports indicating the deaths of 115 elephants between 1990 and 2018, and at least 33 elephants between January 2017 and March 2023. Further, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone accounted for the highest number of elephant deaths in the period 2014–2022, with 65 deaths.
Assam is home to around 56% of Asian elephants found in north-eastern India and is an important landscape for the conservation of wild elephants in the country. Assam has the largest railway network in the North-East region, with about 2,435 km of railway lines connecting it to the rest of the country and providing access to other north-eastern states.
The elephant distribution in and around Assam is spread out over four distinct populations and is contiguous with some neighbouring states as well. Apart from the four major populations, a few isolated habitats also exist that support some elephants.
“The corridors connecting the north-eastern elephant populations spread across these states are also coming under threat from the operational railway tracks in the region. Consequently, these railway lines are a threat to the connectivity amongst these elephant range states that are already under pressure from other anthropogenic activities,” the report said.
A joint field survey was conducted between March 19 and 27, 2024, covering Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland. Representatives from the Wildlife Institute of India, the Assam Forest Department, and Indian Railways (NFR) identified vulnerable rail segments where elephants cross frequently or have previously died in collisions. These areas are now earmarked for underpasses, overpasses, ramps, and early warning systems like Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS).
A representative of the Wildlife Institute of India, local representatives of the Forest Department, and Indian Railways (NFR) conducted a joint field survey of the identified priority railway stretches in the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland during March 19–27, 2024. A total of 18 priority railway segments were identified and surveyed in Assam. The stretches were surveyed by joint teams consisting of State Forest Department, Indian Railways, and WII representatives.
The survey team inspected the railway track, particularly sites vulnerable to elephant mortality and areas where frequent elephant crossings were observed, based on information from the Forest Department.
The team relied on information such as previous incidences of elephant or wild animal mortality, elephant movement trails intersecting railway tracks, GPS coordinates, and chainages (km) of these sites from concerned officials.
Mitigation measures were suggested based on multiple factors including width of the crossing zone, track height of the railway line, presence of drainage structures, and human infrastructure (and consequent potential for conflict) in that segment.
An Elephant Railway Portal, developed by WII, is serving as a real-time monitoring tool to track the implementation and effectiveness of these mitigation strategies.
Of the 18 railway segments marked for Assam, seven were surveyed and confirmed as vulnerable. These include the Tingrai–Bogapani–Digboi–Golai Gaon railway stretch, which runs through the Bogapani corridor in the Digboi Forest Division; the railway line passing through the Dulung Reserve Forest in the Lakhimpur Forest Division; and the Harmuti–Gumto–Naharlagun railway line, which passes through the Durpong-Doimukh at Khundakuwa elephant corridor.
Another confirmed vulnerable stretch is the Chariduar–Bhalukpong railway line through the Balipara Reserve Forest, which lies in the buffer zone of the Nameri Tiger Reserve in the Sonitpur Division.
Also marked were the railway lines near Rangapara (from Rangapara to Misamari, and Rangapara to Bindukuri), also in the Sonitpur Division; the Silghat Town–Puranigudam stretch near Kaziranga National Park in the Nagaon Division; and the Lumding–Habaipur railway line near the Lumding Reserve Forest, which is part of the Dhansiri–Lungding Elephant Reserve in the Nagaon South Division.
The proposed mitigation measures include the construction of underpasses and level crossings with ramps, installation of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) systems for early elephant detection, signage for train operators, and vegetation clearing and fencing in hotspot zones.
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