RANCHI: Intensified movement of wild elephants along forest-fringed railway sections under Chakaradharpur Railway Division has once again disrupted the operation of trains.
In the wake of frequent movement of wild elephants, Chakradharpur Railway Division has cancelled 18 local trains for the next four days from December 25 to 28.
Notably, this is the third time in the last 10 days that the Chakradharpur Railway Division has had to cancel trains. According to officials, 18 local passenger trains have been cancelled for four consecutive days, from December 25 to 28, due to repeated elephant crossings on the Manoharapur–Jharsuguda rail section under the Chakradharpur Railway Division.
The cancelled trains include Tatanagar–Rourkela–Tatanagar MEMU, Chakradharpur–Rourkela–Chakradharpur MEMU, Tata–Barbil–Tata MEMU, Tata–Gua–Tata MEMU, Tata–Chakradharpur–Tata MEMU and Tata–Kharagpur–Tata MEMU, among others.
The prolonged suspension of local trains has caused severe inconvenience to daily commuters, especially passengers travelling to and from smaller stations who largely depend on MEMU and passenger services.
Amid the disruptions, a notable example of wildlife protection was witnessed in the same railway division recently. Recently, a herd of 22 elephants was crossing the railway tracks between Bisra and Bandamunda Cabin 'A' on the Howrah-Mumbai main railway line.
Looking at the elephants' safety at risk, the railway authorities took immediate and decisive action, and 12 long-distance trains running on that route were temporarily stopped.
Thanks to prompt action, no untoward incident occurred, and the entire herd crossed the tracks safely. Representatives of the Wildlife Trust of India felicitated the railway workers and officials who played a crucial role during the operation.
Not only train services, elephant movement has also disrupted road traffic on National Highway-33 on the Ranchi - Ramgarh road on Wednesday evening.
According to locals, a herd of 18 wild elephants suddenly appeared near the highway, creating panic among the people travelling on the road. Acting swiftly, the police and district administration suspended vehicular movement from both directions—traffic from Ramgarh was stopped near Mayatungri hill, while vehicles coming from Ranchi were halted in the Kharabera area of the Chuttupalu valley.
Following the alert issued by the district administration, the forest department’s quick response team reached the spot and safely guided the elephants back into the forest using torches, flashlights and sirens. Vehicular movement was restored after an hour.
Notably, a herd of 42 elephants is active in the Ramgarh area, which has killed as many as six people during the last week.
The herd, divided into 6-7 separate groups, is roaming in the forests of Mandu, Ghato and Kuju, posing a challenge for the forest officials to control them.