DFO Issues Showcause Notice To DRM Over Death Of Elephant On Railway Track

The DFO Hazaribag East Forest Division has issued a show-cause notice to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Dhanbad Division, over the death of an elephant after it was hit by a goods train in Giridih district, an official said.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Saurav Chandra said on Tuesday the area where the incident took place falls under the Sariya Range of Hazaribag East Forest Division.   

Describing the incident as a Forest offence, the DFO said a case has been lodged under section 9 of the Protection of Wildlife Act and the DRM Dhanbad Division has been directed to appear before the Court of the DFO East Division on  May 20 with concrete power presentation regarding steps taken to prevent recurrence of such incident.

The Forest department had already apprised the DRM about the movement of the elephants through that particular section of East Central Railway. In the showcause notice, the DRM has been asked whether loco drivers have followed the guidelines including the speed of the train issued by the Railway Board to prevent killing of wildlife passing through railway tracks.

Following the inspection of the site of the accident, Chandra said glaring violations of norms by railways have been detected and accordingly the showcause notice was issued. Earlier on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, a wild elephant was killed after being hit by a goods train in Jharkhand’s Giridih district. The incident took place between Chichaki and Garia Bihar station on the Dhanbad-Gaya route when a herd of 26 elephants was crossing the railway tracks.

(With PTI inputs)