COIMBATORE: A delegation of judges of the Madras High Court on Sunday inspected the railway line between Podanur and Walayar and took stock of steps taken by the Southern Railway and Tamil Nadu forest department to prevent wild elephants from getting killed by speeding trains.
Judges V Bharathidasan R Subramanian, N Sathishkumar, M Dhandapani, R Pongiappan and GK Ilanthiraiyan travelled in a tower wagon on both railway lines A and B where most of the wild elephant deaths occurred as the B line runs inside the forest.
Southern Railway officials explained to them about provision of ramps to facilitate movement of elephants and solar-powered lights that warn loco pilots about the presence of elephants. According to the Tamil Nadu forest department, since 2008, there have been six incidents of trains colliding into elephants in which 11 elephants have been killed. The judges also visited Marappalam, an elephant corridor near Coonoor, after National Highway road widening work allegedly hindered animal movement.
Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Supriya Sahu, Coimbatore Collector GS Sameeran, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Chief Wildlife Warden Syed Muzammil Abbas, and Conservator of Forests S Ramasubramanian accompanied the judges.