Environment ministry holds workshop to curb elephant-train collisions

The Project Elephant Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Ministry of Railways, organised a two-day national workshop on “Policy Implementation for Minimising Elephant Mortalities on Railway Tracks” in Dehradun on March 10–11, 2026.

The workshop brought together around 40 participants, including officials from the environment and railways ministries, forest departments of elephant-range states, and wildlife conservation experts.

Key Outcomes of the Workshop

• A joint survey of 127 railway stretches covering 3,452.4 km across elephant and tiger habitats was undertaken by MoEFCC, WII, state forest departments and Indian Railways.
• Based on wildlife movement patterns and past collision risks, 77 railway stretches (1,965.2 km) across 14 states have been prioritised for mitigation measures.
• A total of 705 mitigation structures are proposed to enable safe wildlife passage and reduce train collisions.

Proposed Mitigation Measures

The measures planned for these priority stretches include:

• 503 ramps and level crossings
• 72 bridge extensions/modifications
• 39 fencing or trenching structures
• 65 wildlife underpasses
• 22 overpasses
• 4 exit ramps

Technology-Based Interventions

The government is also deploying technology to detect elephant movement near railway tracks:

• Distributed Acoustic System–based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) along sensitive corridors.
• AI-based early warning systems using cameras with thermal and motion sensors that alert authorities when elephants approach tracks.

Special Intervention

A 3.5-km stretch of the Azara–Kamakhya railway line in Assam, passing through the Rani–Garbhanga–Deepor Beel elephant corridor, will be elevated to allow safe elephant movement across the corridor.

Background

India hosts over 60% of the world’s Asian elephant population, but railway lines passing through forest habitats have led to increasing elephant deaths due to collisions with trains. The workshop aims to strengthen coordination between conservation agencies and infrastructure authorities to reduce such incidents.

Source: PIB