On The Right Track

Thick forests bank the Ganga as it flows into the plains; this is the Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand, northern India, home to a rich variety of wildlife.
Between 1987 and 2001, eighteen Asian elephants and other smaller animals, were killed in train-hit accidents along a railway line that cuts across Rajaji National Park. This rail line connects the holy city of Haridwar with the capital of this state, Dehradun, and is one of the busiest rail stretches in the region. Invasive as the rail track is for this ancient wilderness and all wildlife within it, it is equally a lifeline for thousands of people commuting on this stretch everyday. There is no other way the railway line can be routed. Humans cannot do without the transport connections and wild animals find it difficult to learn that the strange parallel tracks running through their habitat can suddenly bring on huge, speeding monster machines that run them over, again and again.
On the Right Track documents a project that looked at this problem closely and has found creative solutions to reduce the danger on these tracks. Undertaken by Wildlife Trust of India-IFAW, supported and meticulously implemented by the Uttarakhand Forest Department in collaboration with Northern Railways, the suggested solutions have ensured zero elephant deaths on this 14 km track since 2001. A heartening win that proves that a little bit of care can allow human technology and ancient natural living systems to coexist. The Rajaji example is now being replicated in other areas with similar problems.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Dusty Foot Productions
• Wildlife Trust of India
• WTI
• Elephants
• Rita Banerji
• Shilpi Sharma
• Rajaji National Park
• wildlife conservations

[Jawa2lak]

Great Job. Nice video

[MsDancegenie]

This is a great effort on behalf of the wildlife and all credit to the authorities involved in trying to find a solution. However, it is just another example of man encroaching on the wildlife's habitat. The animals have obviously always traveled to the south side to get to the water when it has dried up on the north side but now man has built a railway track right through their passage!!!!

[sigmu7]

continued... if so, there is a perennial source of water on the northern side, could they build a canal or a dam on the river? The size of the canal or dam can be small enough to minimize interference with the ecosystem and large enough to keep water supply in the southern side. Again, I could be wrong and they considered it an one of the options and it turned out to be not viable.

[sigmu7]

Great video for increasing awareness !!

I don't quite know what the solution is from the video. Is it only human surveillance ? Do correct me if I'm wrong, and not to take away anything from the effort put in, but is the major issue drying up of the water holes on the south side of the track ?

[HineshD]

Nice Video - If only it was more than a publicity.

As for WTI doing this it would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

It amazes me the international financial support they get without anyone doing a proper investigation into their activities.

[geppegep]

....baby i was born this way!

[jaskaunke]

nice work

[sanjayd411]

lovely

[Louhapath]

Magnificent videography !!

[Louhapath]

Magnificent videography !!One sulotion I have but I know that it shall never be taken !! In big metropolitan cities , we have elavated tracks for metro railway services !! But we would never feel the importance of wildlife so we would never build a elavated track in forest areas !! Thats all !!