Rajaji park's 'killer tracks' unlikely to be shifted soon

Rajaji park's 'killer tracks' unlikely to be shifted soon

Utpal Parashar, Hindustan Times

July 11, 2007

An 18-kilometre stretch of railway track between Chilla and Motichur that runs through Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand can aptly be named 'Killer Tracks' as speeding trains have killed 20 wild elephants here between 1987 and 2001.

Although joint patrolling by Northern Railways and Uttarakhand forest department in association with Wildlife Trust of India have helped in stopping deaths since 2002, the threat to wild elephants remains.

While forest officials and wildlife experts say shifting of the track to outside the park is the only permanent solution to the problem, railway authorities maintain that it is unlikely to happen anytime in the near future.

"Although patrolling of the stretch especially corridors used by elephants to cross over the tracks is being done, its not a foolproof measure and more casualties can take place anytime," says Srikant Chandola, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand.

The presence of an Army ammunition dump spread across 155 acres and 33 families in Khandgaon-III village close to the Chilla-Motichur corridor is also affecting efforts at protecting the elephants.

"An area outside the park has been identified for relocating the villagers and an alternative site of 100 acres identified near Rishikesh to shift the ammunition dump," informed GS Pandey, Director, Rajaji National Park.

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