In a span of seven years, 26 elephants have been killed in North Bengal. Nine elephants have been killed in the last two years alone. Most of the cases have been reported from a 100-km stretch between Alipurduar to Siliguri. This stretch passes through prime protected areas like Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahananda and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuaries. The ministry has identified four extremely vulnerable corridors in this stretch.

Ten cases of elephant deaths have been reported from Panjhora region under Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, five cases from Gulma under Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, four cases from the Mongpong stretch under the Kalimpong division and three in the Rajabhatkhawa stretch under Buxa Tiger Reserves.

What is more alarming is that there has been a sudden rise in the number of goods train in this stretch in the last two years. “We had repeatedly taken up the matter even in the past. The ministry, in a meeting in October, has taken certain decisions in this regard. For the first time, it has specified four vulnerable areas,” said Atanu Raha, PCCF.

The ministry has also recommended that train movements in these corridors be suspended during night because elephants start moving only after dusk.