The Ministry receives reports from various sources about the death of wild animals in rail, road accidents and due to electrocution. However, the details of such deaths are not collated at the level of the Central Government.
Ministry of Environment and Forests has taken the following steps to mitigate the deaths of wild animals in rail and road accidents and due to electrocution:
Developmental projects including those for construction of railway lines, roads, and laying of power transmission lines passing through protected areas, or through eco-sensitive zones in their vicinity, are examined and approved by the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife, subject to such conditions as may be necessary for the protection of wild animals.
Financial assistance is released to the State Governments for taking up activities aimed at reducing the possibility of death of wild animals in rail or road accidents such as construction of animal passes, cleaning of vegetation along roads or railway lines, setting up of watch towers, etc.
An advisory containing the do’s and don’ts has been issued for the use of field officials of Railways and Forest Department to prevent death of elephants in accidents with trains and a joint coordination committee has been constituted including the officers of the Railway Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Forest Department of the Government of West Bengal.
Necessary guidelines titled “Roads, Sensitive Habitats, and Wildlife’ for safety measures to be observed on roads have been issued by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
Instructions are issued to the concerned State Governments, where incidents of death of wild animals due to electrocution are reported, to ensure that power transmission lines are properly maintained by concerned electricity authority by installing requisite Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers and regular inspection of transmission lines against their sagging.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests (independent charge) Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan in a written reply to a question by . Shri P.L. Punia in Lok Sabha today.
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