A speeding train crushed seven elephants to death in eastern India after the animals tried to rescue two calves that got stuck in the tracks. The train was travelling at 43mph when the speed limit was restricted to a maximum of 24mph.
SOURCE:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8021988/Seven-elephants-killed-by-speeding-train-in-India.html
More than 20 elephants had died in a little over a year in the area, which is a known corridor for the wild animals. 36 elephants have been killed by the trains in the last 3 years. 150 elephants have died from 1857 on railway track.
There are several thing the railways could do to prevent these needless deaths but they don't. They could halt movement of night trains in the New Jalpaiguri-Alipurduar section passing through wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks, construct elevated tracks in that area, and restrict speed limit.
The railway ignored the speed limit in place and were traveling nearly twice the limit. The train was travelling at 43mph when the speed limit was restricted to a maximum of 24mph. This negligence murdered 7 elephants and the railways should be charged as such.
Sri Jairam Ramesh
Honorable Minister
Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Paryavaran Bhavan,CGO Complex,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi
Phone: 91-11-24361727
Fax: 91-11-24362222
E-Mail: jairam54@gmail.com, jairam@vsnl.com
