To prevent elephant deaths on rail tracks :

Forest patches to be cleared

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) is taking steps to clear small forest patches along railway lines to prevent elephant deaths caused by trains. DWC officials informed the media about the new step at a briefing at the Department premises in Battaramulla last week to educate the media on the upcoming National Elephant Survey.

“We will take steps jointly with the Railway Department to bring a solution to the problem of elephant deaths due to accidents on the rail tracks. Since these accidents damage the properties of the Railway Department, they are also keen to bring in a sustainable solution to the problem,” DWC Director General H.D. Ratnayake said at the media briefing.

As the officials further explained, they need to take action only in places where the forest clearance is necessary, to avoid additional problems that would crop up. As the wildlife officials pointed out, the tender plants and weeds that may grow in these cleared patches would attract more elephants. Under the ‘Gaja Mithuro’ program, the DWC is constructing electric fences of which the total length would be around 240 kilometres. “The DWC can carry out major repairs on the fences, but we need assistance from the residents of these areas to maintain them,” Ratnayake said.

As weed and creepers grow on the fences, these would earth the electricity running in the fence while creating a high resistance in the fence wires to pass electricity, he said.

According to the DWC, the upcoming National Elephant Survey is not a mere counting but will consider solutions to the problems faced by elephants as well as the affected human habitats. The survey will be held from August 11 - 13. Fifteen parks will be closed for the survey on these three days.

They are Yala, Lunugamwehera, Bundala, Wilpattu, Udawalawe, Minneriya, Kawudulla, Wasgamuwa, Somawathiya, Maduru Oya, Gal Oya, Lahugala-Kithulana, Kumana and Angammedilla.