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Late Monday night, a tragic incident occurred in the Sitapur area of Haridwar, Uttarakhand, as an elephant was struck and killed by a train. The accident unfolded near the Jamalpur-Sitapur railway crossing within the Haridwar Forest Division.

Elephant tragedy: train collision claims a life

Around midnight, forest officials noticed the presence of four elephants near the Sitapur railway track. A forest patrolling team quickly took action to divert the elephants away from the railway track. Regrettably, one of the elephants strayed back onto the tracks and was struck by an oncoming Upasana Express train.

Haridwar's Divisional Forest Officer, Neeraj Sharma, confirmed the loss, stating, "A male elephant died after being hit by Upasana Express train near Sitapur. Forest officials reached the spot, and the railway track was cleared. Postmortem of the elephant is underway. Patrolling has been increased in the entire stretch."

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Gagan Matta, an assistant professor of environmental science at Gurukul Kangri University, highlighted the sensitivity of the Haridwar-Motichur and Sitapur railway track area for elephant movements, citing it as a traditional corridor for these animals.

Villagers urged to report elephant movements

Local villagers are being sensitized about the importance of promptly informing the forest department when they observe elephant movements near railway tracks. Such occurrences are not uncommon in the Jamalpur-Sitapur railway crossing area as elephants frequently migrate toward agricultural fields and water sources.

The ongoing rise in the elephant population in Uttarakhand's Terai regions has amplified the human-elephant conflict, leading to casualties on both sides. Currently, the state houses 2,026 elephants, a significant increase from 1,559 in 2012 and 1,839 in 2017.

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Train-related incidents have claimed the lives of several elephants in recent years, primarily in the Tarai area. Conservation efforts, such as the construction of underpasses in elephant corridors and reduced train speeds within these areas, have been suggested to mitigate these tragic encounters.