What Happened
- The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in coordination with the Ministry of Railways, identified more than 110 railway stretches across India as sensitive zones for elephant-train collisions.
- Comprehensive joint field surveys were conducted by teams from Project Elephant, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), state forest departments, and Indian Railways to map high-risk zones and propose mitigation measures.
- Out of the 110+ stretches, 77 covering approximately 1,965 km across 14 states have been designated as priority areas requiring immediate mitigation infrastructure.
- A total of 705 structures are proposed, including 503 ramps and level crossings, 72 bridge modifications, 39 fencing or trenching structures, 4 exit ramps, 65 underpasses, and 22 overpasses.
- Since 1987, approximately 160+ elephants have died in train collisions; in 2024-25 alone, 12 elephants were killed on railway tracks.
Static Topic Bridges
Project Elephant — India's Elephant Conservation Programme
Project Elephant was launched in 1992 by the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to protect elephants and their habitats through scientific management. The project provides financial and technical support to states with substantial elephant populations and covers areas including habitat restoration, mitigation of human-elephant conflict, veterinary care, and research. Elephant Reserves (ERs) were formally notified under Project Elephant, covering about 30 notified ERs across 14 states. India has the largest population of Asian elephants in the world — approximately 27,000-28,000 individuals.
- Project Elephant launched: 1992.
- Coverage: 14 states with significant elephant populations — Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Asian elephants are Schedule I animals under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, providing them the highest level of protection.
- Elephants were designated India's National Heritage Animal in 2010.
- The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, provides scientific support to Project Elephant and Railway authorities in corridor identification.
Connection to this news: Project Elephant teams contributed to the joint surveys that identified the 110+ sensitive railway stretches, combining ecological expertise with field knowledge of elephant movement corridors to recommend targeted engineering solutions.
Habitat Fragmentation and Human-Wildlife Conflict
Habitat fragmentation is the division of continuous natural habitats by human infrastructure — roads, railways, agriculture, and settlements — into smaller, isolated patches. This forces wildlife including elephants to cross linear infrastructure to access food, water, and breeding grounds. In India, railways bisect at least 8 identified elephant corridors and several elephant reserves, particularly in Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, and Uttarakhand. Key contributing factors to elephant-train collisions include: nighttime movement of trains when elephants are most active, high train speeds (exceeding 80 km/h on non-electrified sections), poor visibility through dense forest, and absence of advance warning systems.
- India has 150+ identified elephant corridors (surveyed by Wildlife Trust of India); railways pass through at least 8.
- In December 2025, seven elephants including calves were killed by a train in Assam on a stretch not officially designated as a corridor.
- Azara-Kamakhya corridor (Assam): A 3.5-km stretch through the Rani-Garbhanga-Deepor Beel elephant corridor is being elevated to allow safe passage.
- Average train speed through designated elephant corridors: restricted to 25-30 km/h (forest department recommendation), though enforcement is inconsistent.
- AI-based early-warning systems using thermal and motion-sensing cameras are being piloted in multiple corridors.
Connection to this news: The identification of 110+ sensitive stretches is a systematic response to the fragmentation problem, acknowledging that existing speed restrictions alone are insufficient without engineered safe-passage infrastructure.
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Schedule I Protection
The Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 is India's principal wildlife conservation law. Schedule I of the Act lists species that receive absolute protection — hunting, capturing, trading, or harming them is a serious cognisable offence. Elephants are Schedule I species. The Act also provides for the creation of Protected Areas (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves, Community Reserves). Any development project that adversely affects Schedule I species or passes through a Protected Area requires prior clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and the WPA. Railway projects through elephant habitats are subject to these environmental clearance requirements.
- WPA, 1972: Schedule I protection means maximum penalties (up to 7 years imprisonment and Rs 25,000 fine for first offence under 2022 amendment).
- The WPA was amended in 2022 to strengthen provisions and incorporate CITES compliance.
- Asian elephant (Elephas maximus): IUCN Red List status — Endangered.
- Killing an elephant by a train is investigated under WPA provisions; railways are required to implement prescribed mitigation measures.
- Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 clearance is mandatory for any railway track alignment through forest areas, including diversion of forest land for mitigation structures like underpasses and overpasses.
Connection to this news: The 705 proposed mitigation structures (underpasses, overpasses, fencing) require forest land diversions and WPA clearances, making inter-agency coordination between railways, forest departments, and the MoEFCC critical for timely implementation.
Key Facts & Data
- Total sensitive stretches identified: 110+ across India.
- Priority stretches: 77, covering approximately 1,965 km across 14 states.
- Total proposed mitigation structures: 705 (503 ramps/crossings, 72 bridge modifications, 65 underpasses, 22 overpasses, 39 fencing/trenching, 4 exit ramps).
- Elephant deaths on railway tracks since 1987: Approximately 160+.
- Deaths in 2024-25: 12 elephants.
- States most affected: Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Uttarakhand.
- India's total Asian elephant population: Approximately 27,000-28,000.
- Legal protection: Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- Survey teams: Project Elephant, WII, State Forest Departments, Indian Railways.
- Technology solutions: AI-based thermal/motion sensor early-warning systems being piloted.